Small Lily
by kimchi-kimi
Summary: Someone returns to Tokyo. What's her relationship with the Oedo family? And how does she know 3D? Read to find out... Rated T for later chapters. No official pairing. RyuXOCXHayato.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** So, this is my first official fanfiction. This story mainly stayed in my head for awhile, and I've only recently got around to typing it out. Just to warn you, it has its flaws, but I will work hard to improve it! Anyway, this is a Gokusen 2 fanfiction. I'm actually not all that familiar with the anime or manga, so this is mainly drama based. Not that I dislike either the anime, manga or other drama seasons, this idea just came to me. I took some liberties with this, but I might have just gotten some facts wrong also. This wasn't meant to be read after all. Oh, and please excuse any improper use of Japanese. Sumimasen!

(This is just a prologue. For some reason, I felt like a _needed _to write one. It's sort of just a flashback. The first chapter will take place in the present time... And feedback is welcomed!)

**Disclaimer: **Gokusen belongs to Morimoto Kozueko.

Without further adieu...

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

"Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be better if you came with Okaa-san?" a beautiful and petite woman asked.

"Iie. It'd be better if we stayed together," an equally pretty and small girl replied icily. Latched onto the little girl's arm was an even smaller girl that was sleepily rubbing her eyes. "But _you're_ breaking this family apart."

"I'm doing this for the two of you" her mother assured.

Lightly squeezing her_ imoto_'s arm, "This isn't what we want." The younger child absentmindedly nodded her head as if to agree.

"You're nine and six. You don't know what you want!"

"What do _you_ know?"

Hurt by her daughter's words and tone of voice, the woman looked away. She took the six-year-old's hand and led her to a waiting car. The small girl was too tired and inattentive to know or care about what was happening around her. The older girl followed behind.

"Listen to your aunt while you're there, and play nice with your cousin." Turning to her sister, who was in the driver's seat, "Call me when you guys arrive." She kissed the child, who had quickly fallen asleep inside the car, and backed out to do the same to her oldest daughter.

The girl turned away. "You couldn't even let Otou-san come and see us off?"

"You said bye at home. He doesn't have to come... it'll only hurt him more," she whispered the last part.

"And whose fault is it that he's even hurt in the first place?" the nine-year-old spat through clenched teeth.

"You don't get it," the older woman said softly.

With a tired sigh that didn't fit her age, "Maybe I don't." She turned away eyes brimming with tears and began to get into the car.

"Chotto matte!" three boys, who were all the same age as the older girl, loudly shouted while running down the street. "Don't leave yet!" They reached the car panting. The group consisted of a cute short boy, a handsome delinquent-like boy, and a tall silent boy.

"You guys...," the little girl said.

"Can we have some time to say goodbye?" the leader of the boys directed towards the adult in a loud voice that made it sound more like a demand.

"Hmmm." The woman turned to pat the girl's hair. This time, she didn't flinch away. "Just don't keep your aunt waiting too long. I have to go catch my train now. I'll call you." She turned to smile at the boys, said bye to her sister, and left.

"Baka," the still teary-eyed girl stated. "What are you doing here?"

The smallest of the boys spoke up, "We wanted to see you off. You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

"We're your closest friends," the first boy said. The girl smiled at both their words. "Yosh, Formation A!"

At this exclamation, all three boys formed a circle around their female friend and passed her around while singing '_Sakura_' by Moriyama Naotaro:

_Sakura, sakura ima sakihokoru  
>Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, they bloom now<em>

_Setsuna ni chiri yuku sadame to shitte  
>Knowing their destiny is to fall<em>

_Saraba tomo yo tabidachi no toki  
>Farewell my friend, it's time to leave<em>

_Kawaranai somo omoi o ima  
>Those feelings that never change…<em>

She started giggling while fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "This isn't graduation," she managed to tell them while still being pushed from person to person.

They stopped after hearing her comment. "We didn't know what else to do," the baby-faced boy scratched his head embarrassedly. "The song seems fitting anyway."

She made a move to hug the scrawny boy, "Arigatou... Take care of yourself."

Next was the loud boy, "Try not to get into _too_ much trouble."

The quietest was saved for last. As she buried her face in his neck, the girl silently let her tears fall. "You need to get out more."

The taller boy patted her back soothingly and finally said something, "We'll miss you, too."

She stepped back to look at them all. "You guys better not forget about me."

All three boys shook their heads. "Well..," the usually cheerful leader started after a deep breath. "Ja ne," he said as he held up two fingers to make bunny ears. They _wouldn't_ be seeing each other, though.

Beaming as brightly as she could through her tears, she waved at them, "Sayonara." With that, she got into the car.

"Are you done with everything, sweetie?" her aunt asked kindly. She only nodded and looked back at her friends. They all waved at her from their positions.

As the car started up, all three boys walked towards the window. The young girl lowered it and smiled at them.

Before it drove away, they all shouted one last time with tear streaks going down their faces, "Sayonara!"

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><p><em>Sakura<em> is a common song that is sung at Japanese graduation ceremonies. It's a nice song. I really like the lyrics, and they do seem fitting in this situation...


	2. Chapter 1: Returning to Tokyo

**Chapter 1: Returning to Tokyo**

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><p>"Anno, excuse me. Could you please point the way to -" The high school student who spoke this was blatantly ignored by the businessman as he hurried past her. In the man's defence, however, he was running late for an appointment and couldn't be bothered with the young (albeit pretty) girl's problems.<p>

Her younger companion spoke up, "Onee-chan, why don't we just call him? We both haven't been to Tokyo in a while, and, to be honest, you have a really bad sense of direction." This was said in a joking tone that turned serious, "The last thing I want to do right now is get lost."

"Your navigation skills aren't that great either," the other girl mumbled.

"_Exactly_ my point."

"I only got a little confused. We'll be fine once someone points us in the right direction. Anyway, I want to surprise him and be there when he gets back." At this, the younger girl rolled her eyes at her _onee-chan_.

"I think just the fact that we're here is enough of a surprise for him," she said with a sigh. "And that's not even considering what we're here to tell him."

Her sister followed with a sigh of her own, "What's with the mood? It won't even be that bad." Her tone turned slight more cheerful as she added, "Besides, I thought it'd be a good idea to catch up with Tetsu-kun and Minoru-kun while we're at it. We could go home with them after they close up shop."

"Tch. You mean you just want some takoyaki while we're at it." With a huff, the smaller girl latched onto her sister's arm. "Whatever, then."

This received a fond smile from the older girl. The two proceeded to ask a kind looking _oba-san_, who proved to be a far better choice than the previous stranger, for directions to the takoyaki stand near Shirokin shrine.

As they rounded the corner, both girls spotted a familiar figure leaving in the other direction. With amused grins, they stopped and silently listened to Tetsu tell Minoru about his plan regarding said figure.

"If I don't receive chocolates this year either, then I'll forget my feelings for her."

"Aniki, you're going to give up on Ojou?" A shocked Minoru asked and was met with a death grip by Tetsu. Yamaguchi Kumiko (Ojou to the Oedo family and Yankumi to her students) was the fourth generation heiress to the yakuza business. She was also the subject to Tetsu's undying love for as long as the girls could remember.

"Minoru, please don't stop me. Men always mean what they say." Getting more emotional, he continued, "Let me bet on the Valentine's Day Battle."

Finally, not able to take the pain any longer, Minoru exclaimed, "Aniki!" However, sensing another presence, both men turned their heads to see a mother carrying her child, who had witnessed the scene, away.

Giggling, the girls stepped forward. "God, Tetsu-kun. You'll scare all your customers away if you keep acting like that."

"Onee-chan is right. Even the best takoyaki won't be sold if the vendor acts that frightening."

Tetsu and Minoru had turned their heads at the sound of the first voice. With the second voice, the shock on their faces quickly turned into recognition. "Sayuri-chan? Sakura-chan?" They said it in unison with matching smiles.

Sayuri and Sakura answered in the same fashion, "Yo."

"What are you two doing here?" Tetsu asked in a pleasantly surprised tone.

Sakura moved to the bench in front of the stand and plopped down. "We'll explain later when everyone's together." With a pout she added, "Minoru-kun, how about some takoyaki? I'm hungry."

Still smiling, Minoru responded, "Hai."

Sayuri playfully shook her head at her _imoto_ and joined her on the bench, "And _I'm_ the one that wanted some?" Sakura returned this remark by simply sticking out her tongue at her _onee-chan_. Both pairs talked and kept each other company until it was time close the stand and head back to the Oedo household. At this point, Minoru accompanied the sisters while Tetsu went on a walk of his own to clear his head of the 'Valentine's Day Battle'.

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><p>"Tadaima," called out the third generation Oedo boss with Wakamatsu and Sugawara close behind him. Minoru, Sayuri, and Sakura had arrived home before the other Oedo family members just like Sayuri had wanted.<p>

"Okaeri," the latter three welcomed simultaneously and bowed. The extra (and higher-pitched) voices caught the attention of the men who were still by the entrance. Although all faces showed surprise, none was as shocked as Wakamatsu Kouzou's. Yankumi's might have rivalled, but she hadn't returned yet.

"Yuri... Saki...," he said to himself although everyone else heard.

This time without Minoru, the girls answered together, "Okaeri… Otou-san."

Kuroda Ryuichiro let out a warm laugh. "I'm feeling a little left out right now."

The girls beamed and ran up to the yakuza boss to hug him. "Ojii-san!" They had started referring to him as such from a while back. The always kind and friendly man had insisted so because they were 'no different than family'. Snapping out of his daze, Wakamatsu looked on fondly at the scene of his daughters with the boss. He was the next hug recipient followed by Sugawara, who had regained himself much quicker and smiled on silently in the background at everything.

Once the greetings were out of the way, everyone was seated around the table. The usual questions of 'how are you?' and 'how have you been?' were posed and answered with short replies. Wakamatsu was about to question the purpose of his daughters' unexpected, though welcomed, visit when they were interrupted by Tetsu arriving home.

"Tadaima," he greeted, and before anyone could respond, another voice rang out.

"Tadaima!" Yankumi had hurried home in hopes of trying out some chocolate recipes so that she could find the right one for Kujo-sensei, her new crush, who works at Momogaoka Gakuen. "Oh, hey Yuri-chan, Saki-chan." She was about to head off to the kitchen when realization hit and made her backtrack. "You…," she began and broke into a wide grin.

"Nee-san!" The two said in unison, once again. Yankumi had also insisted that she be called so due to the closeness of the two families. Hugs were given as the same process the two girls went through just a moment ago was repeated. Now that everyone was present and seated, the main topic was finally broached.

"So, what brings you guys here?" the fourth generation heir asked before anyone else could.

"Well actually…," Sakura began awkwardly. She lost confidence when all eyes turned to her, so naturally, Sayuri continued the thought.

"You see, Misa-chan got accepted into a really great medical program overseas."

Inoue Misaki is the 19-year-old cousin Sayuri and Sakura were living with in Yokohama. Misaki's mom, and the girls' aunt, had passed away about a year ago leaving only the three girls. Sayuri and Sakura were sent to Yokohama after their parents separated when they were each nine and six. Their mother got a job transfer and moved to Osaka. She had tried to persuade them to come with her, but they opted to stay closer to Tokyo, where they all used to live before the rift. By staying with their cousin, they were able to visit their father (though he had been the only one commuting as of late), and they often spent vacations with their mother.

"Sugoi!" exclaimed Yankumi. "That's wonderful for Misaki-chan." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Tell her I said congratulations."

Sayuri gave a small smile. "Well, there's a problem. It really is a great offer and everything, but she has to be there by next week, and she needs to leave early to get situated…," she let the sentence trail off so that her words could sink in.

Once the look of understanding appeared to wash over everyone's face, Sakura carried on. "We could always go to Okaa-san," at this, Wakamatsu winced slightly. The atmosphere was always pleasant when it was just father and daughters or mother and daughters, but when all four were together (even if one was only mentioned in the conversation), there was a hint of tension. The two adults were on talking terms, though, so no one paid it much attention. "I mean we'd have to switch schools either way, but Tokyo is closer than Osaka, and personally, I prefer more familiar surroundings. We _did_ used to live here... and Onee-chan only has about a month left until she graduates high school and goes off to college, so if we got an apartment in Yokohama, I'd basically have it to myself. Not that I'd mind, but I thought _you_ would since I'm only fourteen," she stopped to breathe and shoot her dad a half hopeful look.

He looked at her sternly, "Of course."

"Of course you _wouldn't_ mind?" Since she said it playfully, Wakamatsu gave her a smile... quickly followed by another stern look.

Sayuri laughed at the exchange. "We don't want to impose -" She was interrupted by a dissatisfied grunt coming from the man at the head of the table.

"Is that something family would say to one another?" He asked in mock anger. Everyone at the table smiled at his words. "We have more than enough room in this house and would all be glad to have you two. Especially Wakamatsu." This got a genuine smile out of the man who had still been glaring at his youngest daughter.

"Ojii-san...," both girls said softly.

"Would it really be alright if we stayed here?" Sakura wanted to make sure.

"If you guys keep on asking, then we'll all really get offended," Yankumi said sweetly but with a sense of authority.

Tetsu, Minoru, and Sugawara all responded with a '_hai_' and reassuring nod.

Wakamatsu then switched to worrying parent mode, "W-what about school? A-and the rest of y-your things...?" He noted that each daughter only carried one bag with her.

Sayuri gave a guilty laugh. "Well, Misa-chan is leaving tomorrow, so I sort of had to have everything planned out... The transfer work for both of us is almost done. We'll probably be able to start attending school in two days, which is perfect because the rest of our things are being sent here the day after tomorrow." She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave cute grin that had everyone smiling affectionately.

Sakura held her own sheepish grin. "Family, ne?" with that comment, everyone started laughing and shaking their heads at the two.

After dinner and some talking, everyone went off on their own. The girls didn't need to be told to make themselves at home. They brought their bags to their rooms and settled in. By the time they made it out to the front room, Yankumi had already created a mess with her 'cooking'.

"What's all this?" Sakura dumbly questioned. Sayuri just smirked.

Before Yankumi could open her mouth, "I think I'm going to get ready for bed."

Sakura looked at her _onee-chan_ strangely, which only earned her a chuckle. "Hai..."

"Hey, Kumiko. What is this smell?" Kuroda exclaimed. The rest of the household had all assembled by now also curious and wondering what the math teacher was doing.

"I was making chocolate. Try these." A cheery Yankumi offered up a tray of oddly-shaped chunks. "This is my first time, so it doesn't look so good," at her understatement, everyone fidgeted and stared at the brown pile queerly. "What's wrong, you guys?" she asked while pushing the tray forward. Bodies were pushed around and hands were raised as they all tried to avoid becoming guinea pigs. A new voice stopped them all, though.

"I've come to take the ramen bowls back!"

"Kuma! You've come at the right time." Poor Kuma was pushed forward and sat in front of the chocolates. Of course, he balked at the tray and earned a shout from Tetsu about being rude to Ojou.

Barely discouraged, "It's okay, Tetsu. I knew this would happen, so I made more for you to try." Their expectations were promptly shot down once they saw the new tray of chunks, "The orange one is made of Korean kimchi, the green is Japanese wasabi, and the yellow one is Indian curry. Come on, don't hold back. Eat up." She received repulsed faces and hastily made excuses as everyone ran off. "Wait, guys... I guess everyone was busy?"

Sayuri had come back to check up on the disaster she had seen coming. Standing at the doorway laughing, she said, "I'm sure everyone just isn't in the mood for sweets this time of night. Those look like they might go bad if you leave them out, though. Why don't you throw it all away and start over again tomorrow, Nee-san? I can help you clean up."

Yankumi hesitated but smiled, "Arigatou. I'm really happy that you guys came. Things will be nice with you two around." Sayuri walked over and started to help tidy up the mess. "Plus, things will be easier for Wakamatsu. He only has to come home to see his daughters."

"Yeah, we've been making Otou-san travel back and forth for a while now. I felt bad for not visiting. It's good to be back in Tokyo again." The two cleaned in silence for a moment. "Anno, Nee-san? The school you work at now is called Kurogin, ne?"

The older woman nodded her head, "Doshite?"

"The school I'm transferring to is actually Momogaoka Gakuen. The pamphlet said that the two schools were close by. I need to pick up some things tomorrow, but I don't really know how to get there...," she sounded ashamed of the fact.

Yankumi chuckled, "Daijobu, Yuri-chan. I don't mind. I'll take you there tomorrow morning. And if it's Momo High, that means we can walk to school together from now on! It'll give us a chance to talk... like about _boys_." Her voice turned giddy and teasing.

"Oh, I kind of need to go take care of Sakura's transfer in the morning. I was wondering if you could just write down the directions." When Sayuri saw her _nee-san_'s face fall a little, she amended, "I could go later when school's over and meet you at Kurogin. You can show me and Sakura around. It's been a long time since we've hung out." She ended with a smile.

"It's a plan then!" The giddiness returned to her voice.

"Hai."

After finishing up, Yankumi went straight to sleep. Sayuri decided to grab a glass of water first. She walked out of the kitchen only to come face to face with her father.

"Ever since you were little, you always needed to have water before bedtime. Then you'd make me talk with you all night until you fell asleep," he said wistfully.

His daughter smiled at the memories, "Hmm." They both walked over to the porch overlooking the garden and sat down.

Wakamatsu took a deep breath, "Did you talk to your mother before coming here?"

Sayuri stared down at her hands. "I tried to convince her that everything would be okay, but she still seems a little hesitant. She doesn't get that things are different now," the young girl said while furrowing her eyebrows. "She's worrying too much."

"It's because she cares too much," her dad whispered. "So don't push her away."

She looked up at her _otou-san_ with a sad smile. "That's not possible... I've already tried."

"Yeah, and that has apparently rubbed off onto Sakura." Sayuri cocked her head questioningly. "I talked to your mother."

"She worries _way_ too much." With a shake of her head and a sigh, "Sakura's basically going through the same thing I did. She's at a young and stupid age. She's stubborn, too, but she'll get over it like I did." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"You're still young, stupid, and stubborn yourself," Wakamatsu said with a chuckle.

She pouted her lips, "It runs in the family." They both laughed. Sayuri got up first. "It's late, and I'm tired." She kissed her father on the cheek, "Oyasumi, Otou-san."

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><p>The next morning, the 3D homeroom teacher skipped off towards school thinking about Kujo-sensei who, through some luck, she ran into along the way. After finding out that Mizushima Maki, the girl that one of her students had a crush on, was in his homeroom, she went off into one of her usual monologues about love, fate, and giving it your all. In school, she learned that Shiratori-sensei had met her 'destined man' and was giving up on Kujo-sensei. This man was Tetsu who saved her from a couple thugs yesterday during his walk. Of course, Yankumi didn't know this. The knowledge of having one less rival only fuelled her already happy mood.<p>

By the time she started class, the Wakamatsu sisters had already finished up with their affairs. Although the principal at the junior high school was less than pleasant, they were able to get through the meeting without causing any trouble. Since they finished early, Sayuri went to pick up her uniform instead of waiting like promised. As expected, however, the navigation process proved to be a bit difficult for the two girls. They reached the school as students were being dismissed. Sakura had to call Yankumi and tell her that they'd be a little late. The teacher reassured her that it was fine and that they should meet at a place called Cafe de Rovne instead. She got detailed instructions to the place although they weren't needed since Sayuri was actually familiar with this area of the city.

As the girls headed to the meeting point, they crossed paths with two teenage boys who had just left from there. These two were the leaders of Kurogin's 3D. They had quickly left and dumped their bill on their annoying teacher once she had made her presence known. The one with darker hair did a double take when he saw Sayuri. The calmer of the two wasn't as obvious as his buddy and maintained a detached expression.

Sayuri had long black hair that she usually kept tied up with her bangs framing her small, bare face. Her eyes were a shade of light brown. She was only a bit shorter than the guys which put her on the slightly taller end of the height spectrum. Her clothes weren't flashy or over-bearing; she dressed casually, which highlighted her natural beauty. She was the kind of girl you hated because she made wearing jeans and a t-shirt look like it was a photo shoot.

The dark haired boy quickened his steps toward Sayuri barely even bothering to take notice of the younger girl by her side. His friend kept at his pace and trailed behind.

Sakura was like a younger version of her _onee-chan_, though slightly more girly. Misaki had corrupted her with make-up and fashion magazines during their time together. She would have probably received more attention from the boys if she were older.

Sayuri wasn't exactly in a bad mood, but she just didn't feel like humouring (who she thought to be) a couple of stupid boys with small talk. They could have been classified as _ikemen_, but it's not as if that mattered to her. The one in front stopped and opened his mouth to speak. All words were lost, however, when the two girls passed him without so much as a fleeting glance.

"So cold," he whispered and dramatically put his hand over his heart. The other boy only smirked at him and casted a curious look at the backs of the shrinking figures when they rounded a corner.

As they opened the door to the cafe, Sayuri and Sakura were instantly met with Yankumi's loud voice. "You guys, here!" She waved her hands enthusiastically. "You should have hurried, Yuri-chan. You just missed two of my students," she said with a pout.

"I wouldn't have let you set me up with anyone either way..."

"But they're good-looking!"

"No offense, Nee-san, but you also think a _fundoshi _looks good," Sayuri teased.

Sakura laughed. "I think we might have seen them, though." Yankumi looked over at her as she turned to her sister. "Those two guys we passed by were good-looking," she said with an appreciative smile.

"Tall with black uniforms? A serious looking one and a stupid looking one?" the teacher questioned.

The girls smirked at her description that applied to almost everyone high school boy and nodded.

"Yup, that was Odagiri and Yabuki."

"Ehhh?" They weren't last names that stood out particularly, and Sayuri might not have said anything if only one was said, but at the mention of both, something clicked in her mind. "Odagiri _Ryu_ and Yabuki _Hayato_?" she asked slowly.

The teacher nodded, "Eh, do you know them, Yuri-chan?"

"Sort of...," she mumbled while letting her brain process this information. "We went to elementary school together."

The teacher remembered something, "Takeda _did_ say that he, Odagiri, and Yabuki were grade school buddies."

"_Takeda Keita_?" Sayuri blurted out. "Take's in your class, too?" Yankumi nodded, but the younger girl didn't see. She could tell that Sayuri was still deep in thought, so decided not to push the topic... yet. Instead, she took them to Kuma's ramen shop to eat and introduce them to one another.

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><p>At the same time, the words that had been spoken by their 3D leader were spoken at the Zest Cantina where Take, the one with the crush, had come with two other friends to watch Maki work. He couldn't find the courage to talk to her, so she had brushed him off saying she was busy. After witnessing her flirting and making a date with a university student for later that day, the three idiots came up with their own plan for the night. Remembering what she said yesterday about liking strong guys, they decided to create the classic hero-rescues-the-damsel-in-distress scenario. Take's two friends were going to play the role of thugs and scare off the college boy. Then he would come in and 'save the day'. What these boys didn't know was that the college student was actually a boxer. Needless to say, their plan failed miserably.<p>

In their haste to run away, the guys bumped into Sayuri and Sakura. Much like Hayato, the other two were about to stop and say something to the older girl when Take pulled them along and out of their stupor.

"Tsucchi!" he said to the tallest of the boys. "Hyuuga!" this was directed at the one closest to the girls. A rushed '_gomenasai_' was all that came out of their mouths as they ran down the street.

The girls had been walking around and were on their way home at that time. Yankumi had taken them to a few other places in town and went home early to work on her chocolates again. Sayuri had offered to help her, but she said something about putting your feelings in your fingertips and rolling it with all your heart then ran off, shouting at the girls to not stay out too late.

"Those guys are wearing the same uniform as the two from earlier today," Sakura stated as she brushed herself off and crossed her arms over her chest. "You think they're Nee-san's students, too?" she asked her sister.

"I don't know. Maybe," Sayuri answered. At the mention of the two from before, she reverted to her thoughts.

Both girls stopped to let the car carrying the angry looking high school girl and her date pull out of the parking lot. Sayuri noted the girl's attire.

"She's wearing a Momogaoka uniform. What do you think the chances are of her being my classmate?" she mused.

The two continued moving forward. "Don't try to change the subject, Onee-chan." Sakura gave her sister a challenging look. "Nee-san might have forgotten, but _I _didn't. What was that about her students being your classmates?"

"It's what I said it was. They were my classmates when we lived in Tokyo," the older girl answered a bit confused. Deciding to have some fun, though, Sayuri let out a playful sigh, "You really don't remember? Think about it. It'll come to you."

"_Just tell me_," the younger girl whined in an annoying voice that all little siblings were good at.

"I told you I went to elementary school with them. You even heard their names... _What more do you need?_" Sayuri mocked her sister in the same whining tone.

_Takeda... Odagiri... Yabuki..._, Sakura thought back to the names that were mentioned. Her eyebrows only furrowed deeper trying to recall something she had no memory of.

The taller girl shook her head, "For now let's just worry about what we'll be doing tomorrow. It's our last day of freedom before we start school again."

The junior high student sighed in defeat. "Our things should arrive by tomorrow. We have to stay home and unpack. I guess we could visit Nee-san after she's done with work, too. There's not much else to do."

"Yeah, I guess...," was the reply she got. The sisters walked home in mostly silence for the rest of the way. Sayuri let her thoughts drift.

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><p><strong>AN:** Sayuri means "small lily". I hope that makes the title a little less weird. I just couldn't really think of a better one. And I'm not good at cliff hangers/endings either... So just tell me what you thought about this chapter? R&R please!

P.S. Thank you to **KuroYume** for my first review ever! I hope you liked this one :D


	3. Chapter 2: You Looked Great

**A/N:** I feel like I didn't write enough for this chapter, but I hope you all still like it. And thanks to **Chuu112 **for being the first to favourite my story! It really makes me happy to know that people like this :) I feel motivated to write more and more... but since I have school, the updates might slow down. These next chapters were already typed out, so I'm uploading them one a day. After that, I will need some time to get the rest of the story out to you guys.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: You Looked Great<strong>

While Sayuri and Sakura's new morning started off with moving in their belongings, the guys had a less than pleasant start.

"It didn't even look like he was coming after us. We probably could have stopped running when we ran into her," a disgruntled Hyuuga whined.

"I know she was cute," Tsucchi said with a grin. "But you've been complaining since last night. Get over it."

"She was totally my type!"

"Who was?" This came from Hayato as he and Ryu entered the classroom through the back door. "Did you get her number?" he asked in an excited voice. Ryu just rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

Giving Take, who wasn't even paying much attention to the conversation, a pointed look, "I didn't exactly get a chance..."

Ryu gave a small smirk and looked over at his best friend. "That makes two of you."

Hayato pouted. "I wasn't really going to make a move anyway. Her little sister was there." Tsucchi and Hyuuga were about to ask and comment about the coincidence but were interrupted by the door sliding harshly open.

Take stood up and called out Maki's name. He was met with a slap to the face. In front of all 3D and a newly arrived Yankumi, she called him weak and told him to never come near her again. After hearing about what had happened, it was Yankumi's turn to get upset.

"I can't help it," Take defended. "Working hard the normal way, I wasn't able to get her."

"Working hard? What did you work hard at? You left everything to others and didn't do anything yourself!" The math teacher yelled.

"It's useless even if I did!" Take was equally as heated. "I'm weak at fighting and don't have any guts. I couldn't help it if I used a few dirty tricks. If I didn't do anything cheap, she would never look at me!"

Thoroughly pissed, Yankumi punched him. "Don't kid yourself! Of course it's not okay to be cheap! Stop being so spoiled! You're not good because you're weak? That's not it, is it? What's important is not how strong you are," raising her fist to her heart. "But how strong your will is. Someone who can't even face his opponent face to face, don't fall in love with someone with half-hearted feelings!" Knowing that she was right but not wanting to admit it, Take got up and angrily ran out of class.

Yankumi turned to the rest of 3D and told them that the same went for them, whether they did it for a friend or not. Hayato and Ryu just sat blankly in their seats, worrying about Take. Things had changed so much over the years, and yet, some things didn't change at all. The rest of class carried on uneventfully.

* * *

><p>By the time school ended, Sayuri and Sakura had already finished unloading their things and were making their way towards Kurogin. They should have done it before they left the house, but Sayuri didn't call Yankumi until they had almost reached the school.<p>

"Ah, Yuri-chan. I'm actually busy right now, gomen."

"Doshita no? Is everything alright, Nee-san? Can I help?" Sayuri could tell by her voice that Yankumi was bothered.

"Daijobu, it's just something with my student. I can handle it," the pig-tailed woman assured. "I might be home a little late today, though."

"Wakarimashita. Call if you need anything."

"Arigatou. Ja," she didn't wait for a reply and hung up.

Sayuri explained what she was told to her _imoto_, "We should just grab something to eat at Kumai-san's then head home." They turned back to head to the ramen shop, but stopped short when they spotted Yankumi with a man. It was Kujo-sensei, and she was relating to him about what happened between Take and Maki. The sisters caught the last part of the conversation.

"Anno, Yamaguchi-sensei, can I ask you a favour?"

"Hai."

He continued, "Just to be safe, can you ask your student to give up on her completely?" Yankumi tensed slightly. "Sumimasen, I didn't want to say this, but I'm just worried about the students considering their age and all."

Still distressed, the female teacher replied, "Is that so?"

"Thank you."

Not really agreeing to help, "Then, I'll be leaving now. I have to go search for that idiot."

"Must be hard on you," Kujo-sensei said with no malice, which somehow made it worse.

"No, he's a helpless guy. I can't just leave him alone," Yankumi tried to defend. "Excuse me, then." With that, she rushed off to begin her search. Before the girls could let themselves fully take in what just happened, they caught something else.

"Hey! Aren't those Nee-san's students... and the guys that knocked us over last night?" Sakura called out as she pointed towards Ryu, Hayato, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga, who were running off to look for their friend. "You think this has to do with what Nee-san's dealing with?" She shot her older sister an inquisitive look.

"There's a guy missing from last night," Sayuri thought back to the incident and guessed who the unnamed face was. _Take..._, she thought to herself. He always stood out with his smaller frame and almost childlike looks.

"You're right. They're probably looking for him."

The girls gave each other knowing smiles and ran in the direction the others had headed towards. They checked out some hangout places and searched the parts of the city they knew for Take.

"Sumimasen," Sayuri whipped around and bowed. She had run into a group of boys that seemed to be in their late teens and early twenties. In most situations, it would usually be the girl that fell, but Sayuri had knocked down one of the younger guys.

"Oi!" he yelled from the ground, and his friends followed with shouts of their own.

"Sumimasen," Sakura bowed with her _onee-chan_. Their anger simmered once the girls lifted their heads. "Daijobu?"

The guy on the ground got up. To describe how he looked, you could say that he rivalled Ryu and Hayato. However, the same couldn't be said for the rest of the group. He nodded his head and made some grunting nose that was supposed to mean yes.

"Iie," one of his friends said while slinging an arm around his shoulder. "I think you hit him pretty hard... shouldn't you make it up to him?" The rest of the group snickered.

Sayuri's face went rigid. She was suppressing the instinct to fire back some sarcastic remark. "It was an accident."

"Aw, c'mon. We're nice guys," a different one said as he walked towards the girls with open arms. "We don't mind young girls either," he grabbed Sakura's wrist. Sayuri was about to punch the guy that was holding onto her little sister when the first one spoke up.

"This is stupid," he said with a bored sigh. He had his hands in his pockets and was turning to walk away. "Let's go."

The others frowned slightly but all followed after whistling, winking, and blowing kisses at the girls. Sakura had to hold onto the older girl to keep her from pouncing on the losers. Once they were out of sight, though, the girls continued their search. They wandered around the downtown area. As they turned a street corner, Take ran past them in the opposite direction.

Yankumi was standing a few yards back and yelling, "Takeda! Come to school tomorrow! Everyone's waiting!"

"Nee-san...," Sayuri said softly as she and Sakura stepped forward.

"You guys...,"the surprised teacher answered in the same tone. While walking home, they explained their run-ins with her students, the conversation they heard, and how they figured out the basics of the problem. Yankumi filled them in on the details of what happened from yesterday to just now.

"Baka...," was all the girls could say.

"Maybe he just didn't want to start something," Sakura suggested. Take had also walked into his own group of troublemakers. No one spoke of the other situation because they all knew he was in the wrong.

"It's not like I wanted him to fight those guys," the older woman said. "It's just..."

"There's a difference between being too scared to fight and knowing when not to fight," Sayuri finished explaining for her.

'_That idiot_,' Sayuri thought. '_When will he learn?_'

That night, Yankumi told the same story to her ojii-chan while seeking comfort and guidance, which she got from the wise old man.

"He has a weak will, but he's really kind," she said thoughtfully.

"Then, he'll be fine." Seeing the confused look on Yankumi's face, the yakuza boss elaborated, "He should be able to turn his kindness into strength." Wakamatsu and Sayuri looked on at the scene of grandfather and granddaughter warmly.

"Nee-san will get through this," the girl whispered confidently. Wakamatsu smiled and patted her head. "She can be a little clumsy sometimes, but she always pulls through when it matters. She'll be able to help him."

"It's late, and you have school tomorrow. Get some rest," was all her _otou-san_ said.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Sayuri headed out with Yankumi. Sakura had to take the bus to get to her school, so she went on her own. The Oedo heir was uncharacteristically quiet during the walk. She was still worrying about Take. Sayuri welcomed the silence, though. She knew that she couldn't give out advice like Ojii-san.<p>

The school day didn't hold much interest for anyone. The only things worth mentioning were that Take still hadn't come back and that Sayuri was placed in Kujo-sensei's homeroom. She hadn't really formed an opinion of the male teacher yet and decided that despite not liking what he requested yesterday, she should probably give him a chance. After all, he couldn't be so bad if Nee-san liked him, right?

"Everyone, this is Wakamatsu Sayuri. She just transferred here from Yokohama. I know it's a little late in the year, but she'll be in this class starting today," the teacher said cheerily.

"Please take care of me," Sayuri bowed.

Kujo-sensei smiled, "There's an empty desk by Mizushima. That's your seat." He pointed to a space by the window. Sayuri instantly recognized the girl from the other night, and from what she was told, she guessed that this was Take's Maki.

"Ohayo. I'm Mizushima Maki. Nice to meet you, Yuri-chan."

Sayuri smiled at her friendliness. She could tell why someone would like this girl. "Nice to meet you, Maki-chan."

The two girls talked and became friends fairly quickly. When Sayuri got a call from Yankumi telling her not to wait and go home first, Maki told her to come visit her at work.

"The principal asked me to meet him after school. He's probably going to lecture me about the rules of this place," both girls laughed at this. "I can drop by when I'm done, though." Sayuri had guessed that the 3D teacher was going to look for Take again, so she thought it would be a good idea to at least check where Maki worked. They promised to meet up and parted ways.

The talk with the principal hadn't really lasted as long as Sayuri anticipated, so she had rushed and almost caught up to Maki. Seeing Kujo-sensei, however, she hid herself and eavesdropped on the two.

"Mizushima, it's about the Kurogin student," he started.

"I don't want to talk about that."

"I asked his homeroom teacher so...," he was interrupted by an exasperated Maki.

"I don't care anymore." She said it as she turned around, and Sayuri had to quickly duck behind a tree to remain undetected. She turned back around and kept going.

"Mizushima, wait."

Just then, an enraged Yankumi flew out of the Zest Cantina with Ryu and Hayato close on her heels. Tsucchi and Hyuuga trailed behind saying something about how the guy was a really strong boxer and Take didn't have a chance.

Hearing Tsucchi and Hyuuga's comments, Maki paled, "Don't tell me." She ran after them with Kujo-sensei following her. Sayuri followed suit still unnoticed.

Everyone stopped at the riverside, where they saw the sight of Take being beat up. Yankumi wouldn't let the others jump in stating that this was _his_ fight.

"Doshite? I told him never to approach me again," a dumbfounded Maki said.

Frustrated for his friend, Ryu exclaimed, "Why don't you understand? He's doing it for you."

Even more confused, "_For_ me?"

"Takeda is fighting for you," Yankumi followed up. "He's trying to protect you."

Ryu continued, "Take couldn't forgive him for deceiving you and wanted that guy to cut ties with you. That's why he took on this challenge."

"Deceiving me?"

"He has other girlfriends beside you," Hayato told her.

"Even though there's no way Take would win against that strong guy," Tsucchi said.

"This is about his limit," Hyuuga added. They all watched on as he fell but still refused to give up. The cocky weasel kept taunting him and throwing punches. When he was about to deal the final blow, Yankumi finally stepped in. She easily blocked his fist, made him back off, and caught Take as he fell.

"I couldn't win," the beaten boy said in an almost anguished way.

"You did well. You looked great," his homeroom teacher assured him with a smile. "Sorry for hitting you yesterday."

"Yankumi," he grinned.

The guys rushed to Take's side while their homeroom teacher got fired up by the blockhead's comment about her having weak students. "He took on a challenge that he had no chance of winning for the girl he likes. Which part of him is weak? Even though he's not a strong fighter, he did his best and didn't run. His will is really strong! He's much stronger than you!"

Hearing Yankumi's impassioned speech, Maki stepped forward past the college idiot and in front of Take. She handed him her handkerchief, "Daijobu?"

Smiling like a dork through his injuries, he took it, "Maki-chan."

"Gomen ne." Take shook his head telling her he was alright. His friends took this as an okay to tease him.

Sayuri had watched the whole thing, at first, with unease. Now she was grinning wholeheartedly at the scene. After hearing Kujo-sensei say that he wanted to support the two students also, she turned her attention to the brute that was stalking away.

Deciding that there was nothing left to see here, Sayuri followed him. She told herself that it would be wrong to let him walk away like nothing happened. Her sense of justice wouldn't allow him to go unpunished.

"Anno...," she called out. "I just moved here and need help moving my things." She bit down on her lip and acted innocently dense. "You look strong..." It took all Sayuri had to keep from rolling her eyes at the conceited look the jerk got.

Guys were guys, though, and her plan went without hitch. Once she had lured him into an alley way using the 'assets' she inherited from her mother, she proceeded to hand his ass to him using the fighting ability she got from her father. Like when she was little, people often underestimated Sayuri's strength due to her looks. Although she wasn't on the same level as Yankumi, she had no problem fending for herself. The years have also only helped her improve.

With a huff, Sayuri stood up straight and brushed her bangs out of her face. "Who's the weak one now?" She hadn't roughed him up enough to cause any serious injuries, but he wasn't any better off than Take. It was enough to hurt his pride and scare him a little, too.

"Who...," the guy had a lot of questions. Who was she? What did she want? Why was she doing this?

Sayuri glared down at the punk and smirked. She didn't feel like explaining everything to him. "Guys like you have no right to go around judging others." And just like that, she turned around and went home.


	4. Chapter 3: How It All Started

**A/N: **Thank you, **Chuu112 **for all the love!This chapter is a sort of back story for everything. I wrote more than usual. (I loved writing little Sayuri, Take, Ryu, and Hayato!) Please review! I want to know what you all think... I could use some constructive criticism.

**Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to their rightful owner. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: How It All Started<strong>

It was the first day of school at Haiirokin Elementary School as parents cheerily dropped their kids off at the gates. All the little first graders were scrambling around trying to find their class, and everyone was looking for their friends. Outside class 1B, a timid boy was being picked on by a couple of third graders with nothing better to do.

"You look pretty weak," said a chubby boy. His friends laughed.

"You'll never make it through school like this," one kid chastised with fake concern while holding up one of the boy's skinny arms. The boy yanked his arm back and tried to run away but was pushed against the wall.

"Lucky for you, we offer protection services to our kohai," a third boy stated. "Your lunch money should cover the cost."

The younger boy looked down. "I-I'm not interested."

"Well then, we'll just have to make you interested." They all closed in on the first grader.

"Please stop," squeaked the little boy on the verge of tears.

"Or what? You'll go crying to your _mommy_?" the leader of the group, who hadn't said anything until now, sneered.

"Iie," this voice belonged to a little girl. "I'll have to stop you myself." She had been walking down the hall when she came upon this scene. "You guys are pathetic all gaining up on one person. Don't you know that the Sun is watching you?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Ehhh?" everyone, including the first grade boy, exclaimed. They gave each other looks that said '_What is she talking about?_'

"He's smaller than you, too!" the newcomer threw her arms up in a dramatic fit.

"Get lost. We don't have time to play with little girls," one of the boys waved his hand at her.

"Shoo," his friends followed up.

"Don't screw with me!" the girl yelled in a demanding tone that was accompanied with a steely glare. "Let him go before I kick _all_ your asses!"

This chick looked absolutely crazy, but the older boys weren't about to run away from a first grader (and a girl at that). With a nod from their leader, the chubby boy hesitantly moved towards her.

"I usually don't hit girls, but you're getting on all our nerves," he reached out to grab her by the shoulders intending to push her down.

In one swift move, the little girl flipped the boy twice her size over onto the ground. "And I usually don't fight people weaker than me, but you all deserve it… _sempai_."Her tone was completely condescending.

The other boys grew wide-eyed. They all bolted down the hall and away from the small girl. Their bigger friend got up and ran in the other direction.

Once they all rounded a corner, the little girl ran towards the still shaken boy. "Daijobu?"

"..." He stared up at her. He said the only thing that could come to his mind, "You swore."

The girl looked at him for a second then started giggling. "Nee-san does it when she's angry, and people always listen to what she says when she does it," she shrugged. The boy looked at her with awe.

"I'm Wakamatsu Sayuri. Nice to meet you," she held out her hand, which he shook. "Are you in this class, too?" She pointed to the sign that read '1B'.

"H-hai. It's nice to meet you, Sayuri-chan. I'm Takeda Keita," the boy shyly smiled.

Sayuri gave him a wide grin. "You can just call me Sayuri or Yuri-chan. Hmmm... and I'll call you Take-chan." With that, she grabbed his hand. "We're friends now."

Before Take could respond she dragged him off into the classroom and picked out two desks side by side for the both of them. Once seated and comfortable, she looked towards the boy.

"Were you going to fight back just now?"

"A-ah…," Take stammered. "Iie."

Sayuri pursed her lips. "I didn't think so." She turned her body fully so that she was facing him. "I'm not saying that fighting is good, but Nee-san says that it's important to know how to protect yourself and what's precious to you."

Take thought over her words. "I don't know how to fight…"

"Do you want to learn?"

He nodded, "But I'm not strong."

"That doesn't matter," Sayuri smiled. "I can teach you."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in 1C, a challenge was issued to everyone by a handsome boy. "I'm going to be the leader of this class. If anyone has problem with that, you'll have to fight me." He had walked into class, gotten up onto a desk in the middle of the room, and shouted out his proposal all in less than a minute.<p>

Now, taking his time to survey his other classmates, he could see that he had no real competition. The other boys all looked fairly weak to him, and he didn't expect much trouble in defeating any of them. He didn't even bother to count the girls as a threat.

"Looks like everyone agree-" he was interrupted by another boy who was just entering the room.

This boy didn't look up too long at his new classmate standing on the desk. Unlike the other students, however, it wasn't because he was shy or scared. He just wasn't interested. Silently, he walked to the back of the classroom and sat down at an empty desk. The first boy looked at him curiously. He saw a possible opponent in the new boy.

"Oi! I'm the leader of this class from now on, Yabuki Hayato," he introduced.

"So?" was the reply he got.

Hayato's eye twitched. "_So_... if you don't like it, you have to beat me in a fight."

"What do I get out of it?"

"It won't matter," Hayato smirked. "You're not going to win."

"Don't get so cocky." This got the boy off the desk and crossing the room.

"You-" he stopped short when the teacher arrived.

"Ohayo, minna!" the perky teacher went on to introduce herself and greet the class. Everyone settled down as she began to take attendance. All the kids answered with a 'hai' and raised their hands politely.

"Yabuki Hayato-kun," she called out.

"Huh?" he and the boy in the back of the room were having a staring match, so he hadn't been paying much attention.

"I'm taking attendance," the teacher explained to him.

"Oh," he said as he sat back in his seat. The teacher mentally scowled but went on, "Odagiri Ryu-kun."

"Yeah," said the boy in the back of the class. He half-heartedly raised his hand with his elbow still resting on the desk. The teacher sighed and finished up.

* * *

><p>Back at 1B, the teacher had also arrived. Hiding behind her was the chubby boy that Sayuri had flipped over moments ago. When he caught her eyes, he looked down.<p>

"Why don't you take a seat? Look there's an empty one right there," the teacher pointed. This just so happened to be in front of Sayuri.

The boy looked back and forth between his teacher and the she-devil who was giving him a menacing smirk at the moment.

"Go on," the teacher urged. The boy sighed dejectedly and cautiously made his way to his new seat.

He looked over his shoulder to glare at Take. This received a kick to the chair from the girl behind him. He whimpered. During attendance, Sayuri found out that his name was Takagi Taro. While the teacher wasn't paying attention, she poked him in the back and whispered something.

"So did you stay back or something?"

The poor boy jumped in his seat causing the teacher to look towards him. He gave a nervous smile while Sayuri gave an angel-like one with fake innocence.

"I-iie. I-I'm supposed to b-be here." He stuttered in a whisper.

"Ehhh?" Sayuri and Take, who was listening to the two of them, exclaimed.

The teacher shot another look in their direction. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

"Iie," all three students replied. They decided to wait until lunch time to continue on.

* * *

><p>"Odagiri!" Hayato called after the lunch bell rang and the teacher exited the class. The other kids rushed out to avoid whatever brawl was going to occur.<p>

Ryu blankly looked towards the other boy. "Let's get this over with."

"I'll try to go easy on you," Hayato stated while cracking his knuckles. Ryu scoffed, but said nothing. Still, the look on his face was enough to provoke Hayato even more.

No other words were exchanged. Both boys immediately charged each other as the fight went underway. In the process, desks were pushed away and supplies were thrown everywhere. Despite his words, Hayato was giving it his all. Ryu proved to be a strong opponent; he landed more punches than he received. Ryu had also underestimated Hayato's strength as well. He hadn't expected much of a struggle from the loud mouth. Minutes in, both boys were slowing down. Ryu stopped mid swing on the last punch when Hayato said something.

"Enough with the face!" the handsome boy looked appalled at the fist inches from his nose. So far, they had stuck mostly to gut blows with a few head shots mixed in.

Ryu caught the expression he held and busted out laughing. Hayato huffed and pushed him away. They both took this chance to catch their breaths.

The sound of new laughter caused them to look up. At the doorway stood two boys who were of the same age as Hayato and Ryu. They were passing by on their way to lunch when they heard all the noise.

"Looks like 1C is the 'Baka Class'," one of them stated.

"It's a good thing we were placed in 1A and not here, ne?" the other added. The two boys, who were still on the ground, glowered at these pompous punks.

"Who do they think they are trying to act so tough anyway?" they continued.

With an exaggerated sigh, "They look pitiful..."

Not able to suppress his anger any longer, though it hadn't actually been long, Hayato got up and walked over to the other boys. "What did you say?" he grabbed the collar of the boy who had spoken the last comment.

The boy shoved him off and dusted his uniform as if Hayato had tainted it. "Do whatever you want in _this_ class," he sneered. "But don't walk around school acting big. _We'll_ be running the first years."

"Who's the one acting big?" Hayato asked sarcastically. "Don't make me laugh."

The two friends exchanged looks and pounced on the already worn out boy in front of them. They didn't get far, however, because Ryu had gotten up to come to Hayato's aid. Even without their full energy, they had no problem holding their own against these arrogant boys. The cowards quickly made an escape not long after Ryu joined in on the fight. The 1C students both sank down to the ground in order to rest.

"They were just talk," Hayato got out in between deep breaths. "Their faces looked piss scared!" The two boys erupted into laughter at recalling the comical expressions.

"You know, I really don't care about that whole leader thing," Ryu said seriously after he had regained himself.

"Then why'd you fight me?" Hayato asked dumbfounded.

The other boy shrugged. "You called me out in front of everyone."

"You didn't want to seem weak," Hayato nodded his head in understanding. Both boys looked at each other. Ryu got up first and silently stretched out his hand to Hayato. He took it and smiled. "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship, Ryu."

"Urusai," the boy answered coldly but cracked a smile afterwards. "Do you think we should clean all this up?" He motioned to the destruction around them.

"Nah..." With that, both boys walked off to lunch.

* * *

><p>In the cafeteria, Taro was about to head over to the group of third graders from earlier when a small hand grabbed his blazer and dragged him towards a different table.<p>

"So if you're only in the first grade, why are you hanging out with those jerks?" Sayuri asked as she sat down opposite him and next to Take.

"What's it to you?" Taro snapped. He instantly regretted it, though. The girl sitting across from him let out a sadistic chuckle that sent chills down his spine.

"Come again?" she arched a brow.

"U-uh... The one in the middle," he pointed to the leader of the group. "He's my cousin. The others are his friends."

"So they're not your friends?" Take spoke up. This time, Taro minded not to act _too_ mean to the boy. He kept a blank expression and didn't answer.

"They ran away pretty quickly earlier," Sayuri noted while digging into her lunch. "No one even looked back to check up on you."

"What's your point?" Taro mumbled.

"You don't seem like such a bad guy. You should make some real friends," the girl reasoned.

"Real friends?" the boy questioned.

"Those guys over there aren't your real friends. They don't even have your back. Real friends don't run away when their buddy's in trouble."

The bigger boy stared at Sayuri for a long moment. He looked to Take who had already started eating also. They were both smiling and making small talk with one another.

"It's not that easy..." the boy was about get up and leave.

Both pairs of eyes turned towards him. Take took a deep breath of courage, "You can stay and eat with us if you want."

"Why would I want that?"

Losing some confidence, he offered shyly, "W-we can be your f-friends."

"..."

Sayuri grinned at both boys. "It's your choice, Ta-chan."

Taro looked at the girl's genuine smile. Then he registered what she just said and groaned. "Ta-chan?" Take stifled some laugher.

"Hey, it's not my fault that that's your name." Sayuri pointed out.

"Okay, _Sa-chan_." Both he and Take laughed. The mood was lightened further as Taro sat back down again. Sayuri gave him a pointed glare. But now, instead of finding it scary, he found it cute.

* * *

><p>The school year passed on just like that. Sayuri, Take, and Taro ruled 1B while Ryu and Hayato ruled 1C. It was class 2C that brought them all together the following year...<p>

"Isn't that Wakamatsu-san?"

"There were rumours last year about her beating up a group of upperclassmen."

"Is she that strong?"

"She doesn't look scary..."

"I heard it was Takagi-sempai's gang."

Sayuri had tried to block out the gossiping from the girls in her class. She couldn't help but scowl at the memory those words conjured, though. Taro's cousin had tried to make him the group's lackey again. She warned them to leave the younger boy alone, but they obviously forgot about her capabilities.

"_He doesn't want to hang out with you guys anymore!" she had shouted._

_The group of boys snickered. "We're ready for you this time, you bitch."_

_One boy stepped forward, but Taro blocked his way. "Don't mess with her." He had said it with their safety in mind. He knew Sayuri well enough to know he didn't have to worry about her._

"_What? She got you on a leash now?" Takagi asked. His friends all snorted._

"_Get out of my way, Ta-chan." The big boy shook his head at the older boys and obliged to the girl._

_It really didn't take all that long. Taro's cousin got a busted lip, the boy who had called her a bitch got a black eye, and the others all received their own bruises before running off with their tails between their legs... again._

"Don't let them bother you, Yuri-chan," Take smiled sweetly at the girl from her left. From her right, Taro did the same as he rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Sayuri held her head up high. "I don't feel bad. I didn't do anything wrong... they just sound annoying acting like I can't hear them." She furrowed her brows in frustration. The two boys just chuckled at the girl's attitude.

"It's Yabuki-kun! And Odagiri-kun!" the other girls started chatting again as the two boys entered the room.

"They're the ones from 1C, ne?"

"They're so cute!"

"I heard that they don't talk to others, though."

"All the guys are too scared of them. They're both strong fighters, you know."

"Didn't they take on Kirishima-kun and Tanaka-kun from 1A?"

Ryu and Hayato ignored the comments and questions as they made their way to the back of the class talking about what they each did during vacation.

Sayuri looked at them with curious eyes. She'd never heard any rumours about them (her circle of friends didn't really extend beyond Take and Taro), but she _had_ seen Kirishima and Tanaka. They were new recruits for Takagi's gang.

"Ne, Ta-chan?" she pulled her gaze away from the other two. "Didn't you say that your cousin was going on about teaching some kids a lesson this morning?"

Taro shrugged. "He was talking to himself. It's not like he wanted revenge, though. He just doesn't want underclassmen to think they can look down on him." He gave Sayuri a smirk, "He's gotten a lot more territorial since he met this insane chick who beat up his whole crew."

"Yeah, I heard that girl really doesn't know when to back down," Take added with a smile.

"Wow, she sounds awesome!" Sayuri said with fake awe. The three friends started laughing. They were cut short, though.

"Wait!" one of the girls in class practically shouted. "Who's going to lead 2C?"

"You're right!"

"Obviously it'll be Yabuki-kun and Odagiri-kun. They're boys."

"I don't know. Wakamatsu-san isn't just some girl."

"She has Takeda-kun and Takagi-kun to back her up too... not that she needs it."

"Will they fight it out then?"

"Eh? Will they?"

Sayuri, Take, and Taro all twisted their heads to look at the other two subjects of the gossip. Ryu and Hayato had also turned their attention to the girls' conversation. Feeling multiple pairs of eyes on them, they looked over to the group of three.

Hayato let out an audible 'ha'. "You're the ones they're talking about?"

It wasn't hard to see where Hayato was coming from. What he saw was a scrawny boy that looked like he belonged in a grade lower, a chubby boy that looked like he belonged in a grade higher, and a small girl that didn't seem in any way out of the ordinary. The group tended to draw out laughs and weird looks instead of fear. Still, this didn't stop Sayuri from seething.

"And which one are you?" she made no attempt to sound friendly.

"Yabuki Hayato," he said then pointed to his friend. "Odagiri Ryu." Both had their hands in their pockets and held somewhat bored faces. "I thought we'd get some competition this year, but looks like the class is ours again," he directed towards Ryu.

One of Sayuri's eyebrows rose as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into her seat. "Tch. Just another stupid brute." Ryu's lips twitched in amusement at her comment about his friend.

"Yuri-chan...," Take said with a sigh. He could see where this was going.

"Nani?" Hayato slammed his hands on his desk and stood up.

Sayuri slowly got to her feet as well. She just as calmly kicked her chair back. It hit the wall with a loud bang. Everyone but the five in the back flinched. The class had gotten quiet when they heard Hayato first talk, but now not a sound was made. Sayuri walked over and stopped in front of Hayato's desk.

"I have no problem taking both of you on right now," she gave the boy one of her signature death glares.

"We don't fight girls," Ryu said evenly from his seat. Sayuri turned her gaze upon him.

'_I guess that means they can't be that bad_,' the rational thought crossed her head for a split second.

"Pfffft," Hayato's obnoxiousness pulled Sayuri back to reality. "Of course we don't! They'd never have a chance at beating either one of us."

"So you're saying you won't fight me?" the composed girl was quickly losing her patience.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Hayato retorted. He jabbed a finger at Sayuri's forehead. "Are you that slow?"

Gasps and murmurs went through the entire room. Take and Taro promptly got up and were on either side of their friend. They both had a firm grip on each of her wrists in case she couldn't control herself.

Sayuri, however, didn't blow up like everyone had anticipated. She let out a small chuckle, and one side of her mouth turned up into a smile (the twisted ones you see psychopaths with in scary movies). "You're the stupid one if you think you can just walk in here and expect everyone to acknowledge you as the boss. You have to _earn_ that role."

Both Hayato and Ryu stared at this girl with slight interest. She didn't seem like the demure type. The class was reacting to her actions as if they all feared her. Her friends even looked scared... at what she might do to them. Most importantly, her words resonated with them.

"Fine," Hayato relented as he walked around to the front of his desk. He looked down at the shorter girl. "You said you were ready now, ne?" The creepy smirk on Sayuri's face grew. She shook off Take and Taro and pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

Seeing her face fully, Hayato gave a sly smile. "If I lose, then I'll let you be my girlfriend." The girls in the class all let out a collective squeal while the boys marvelled at his boldness. Taro stiffened from his spot, and Ryu shook his head at his best friend.

Sayuri just scoffed and crossed her arms. "Pass. I don't want to be punished for winning." The class tried as hard as they could to repress their laughs, but some giggles managed to get out.

Hayato's ego remained unfazed, "I just don't want to give you a reason to lose on purpose." He leaned in and flashed Sayuri a charming grin. The girls of the 2C were back to swooning, and the boys were back to admiring. Taro and Ryu gagged.

"Don't worry. You're not that cute," Sayuri answered indifferently.

"Oi!" Hayato wasn't one to take insults well, but he especially didn't like it when others took jabs at his looks. The way he saw it, you didn't have to like him, but you _had_ to admit he was handsome. "You-"

"Stop messing around," Sayuri interjected. "Let's do this." The class grew silent. She turned towards Ryu. "I said both of you." The two boys raised an eyebrow.

"I can take care of you by myself," Hayato grew defensive.

"Don't get so cocky." Those were fighting words. They were the same ones Ryu had said to Hayato back at the beginning of school. They, along with a certain overconfident look he held, proved to be enough to piss off the hot headed boy. Sayuri now held that look.

"Aren't _you_ the one getting cocky? You think just 'cause you're a girl that you can talk big and I'll just have to let it go?" the irked boy said harshly. "Don't screw with me!" he finished with the same words and tone of voice that Sayuri had used with Takagi's gang last year. Sayuri protecting Take was equal to Hayato protecting his pride. The irony of the situation had Ryu, Take, and Taro all holding back their amusement.

It took a deep concentrated breath for Sayuri to calm down her anger. "Iie," was all she could manage to say. She just glared at the boy.

Hayato gave a self-satisfied smirk. "Well, if you beg now-"

"Urusai!" the agitated girl yelled. "Stop stalling already." With that, the handsome boy got serious.

Although it wasn't her style, Sayuri decided that she'd have to make the first move. She went in for a punch, which Hayato managed to dodge by a split second. The force she used took him off guard, but he quickly recovered. The majority of the fight was spent throwing and ducking blows from the other person. The only contact made was Sayuri's fist to Hayato's face, but even that was few. He was obviously no match for Sayuri with her yakuza background, so she tried to go easy. He hadn't done anything punishable like Takagi and his friends. It might have gotten on her nerves, but Sayuri knew that being a moron wasn't _completely_ his fault. Besides, she was only trying to prove a point; she didn't actually want cause any bodily harm.

"Shit!" Hayato was exasperated by the constant evading. He raised another fist, but this time, Sayuri blocked it.

"The teacher's coming," she told everyone. They all looked at her, but sure enough, the sound of clicking heels were heard when everyone listened.

Sayuri walked over to her seat as if nothing had happened while Hayato bent over with his hands on his knees and tried to calm his heart rate. The teacher came in on this scene.

"Oh my! What happened? You look awful! What's your name, sweetie?" she was crouching down to get on his eyelevel. The boy just glared at her.

"Daijobu!" he asserted and casted a side glance towards the main object of his anger. She was staring straight ahead, not even bothering pay him any attention.

"Alright," the woman said a little unsure. She walked up to the front and started class normally. Hayato went back and sat down in his seat next to Ryu.

The silent boy didn't say anything. He knew that what his friend needed right now was to be left alone. Trying to comfort him would be asking for trouble.

* * *

><p>When a break in the class came and the teacher had left the room for a moment, the class all turned around in their seats.<p>

A boy in class spoke up. "Looks like some people are just talk. He's not that great after all." He said it to one of his friends, but it was one of those comments that was obviously said out loud on purpose. He just had no guts to say it to Hayato's face.

The short-tempered boy huffed. He couldn't reply to that. Even though the fight wasn't finished, he knew he lost... to a girl. Ryu clenched his fists and looked towards his friend checking to see if he was alright.

"Why don't _you_ try to do better, then?" The two boys in the back looked up to the source of the defence. It had come from Sayuri. "Saying he's not all that tough because he lost to me... that means you don't see me as much either."

Whispers went around all through 2C. "T-t-that's not what I-i meant."

"Then what _did_ you mean?"

"..."

"He's the strongest person I've faced so far," the girl stated."So don't go around saying stupid things like that unless you can back it up yourself." She had said all this while looking down at her desk. Now, she looked up at the boy who had said the comment, "It's annoying."

Take and Taro stayed quiet. They didn't like the kid's attitude either. And it's not like Sayuri could be stopped once she was riled up. They supported her with their own hard stares.

The girls all smiled adoringly. Yabuki-kun and Odagiri-kun were just eye-candy, but Wakamatsu-san was their idol. She was strong and full of justice. They hadn't only heard stories about her defending Takeda-kun and Takagi-kun. She had also been at the frontline to protect any girls that were being harassed or bothered. They all aspired to become like her.

The boy, who now regretted he had even said something, awkwardly looked down and nodded his head. He turned back to face the front of the class and avoided eye contact with anyone. His friends did the same.

One corner of Ryu's mouth twitched up as he looked over at Sayuri. She was definitely an interesting one. He shot a look at his friend. Hayato let out a deep breath. He had let go some of his irritation for her. Despite her beating him, he had no real reason to dislike her. She seemed nice, like she could be a good friend.

* * *

><p>The rest of the school day went by. Sayuri was the official head of 2C and no one challenged that. It had been expected by most to begin with. She, Take, and Taro all walked out together to wait to be picked up.<p>

"You're not going to make it a habit to pick a fight on the first day of _every _school year, are you?" Taro asked while they stood at the gates.

"Do I look like some delinquent to you, Ta-chan?" the girl sounded offended.

Taro smirked. "You act like one."

"Take-chan, Ta-chan is being mean to me!" she pulled on the other boy's sleeve.

The two boys exchanged glances and laughed. "How can you be so cool in front of others, but such a baby to us?" the bigger boy wondered.

"Ne, Yuri-chan. It's like two different people," Take nodded.

"It's because we're friends." She grinned showing all her teeth. "Of course I can be myself with you guys." They all smiled.

Take had been standing with his back to the street, so he could see inside the school grounds. His mouth thinned into a flat line at what he saw. Sayuri and Taro noticed, but both didn't turn back until the smaller boy wordlessly lifted a finger and pointed behind them.

The scene was of Takagi and his gang, plus Kirishima and Tanaka, surrounding and leading Ryu and Hayato off somewhere to the side of the building. When lunch came and went, Sayuri had thought that maybe the older boy wouldn't be doing something, but that was apparently expecting too much. The three followed the group silently.

"So, these are the guys?" Takagi asked. "Hmph, I heard you took good care of these two." He slung both arms around the second graders.

"Betsuni," Ryu said in a composed voice.

"They aren't even worth mentioning," Hayato shrugged. Kirishima and Tanaka growled at the implied insult.

Takagi let out a chuckle. "Well, you see, they're my buddies now. I just feel like I should return the favour."

"We take good care of each other," this came from the guy who had gotten a black eye from Sayuri. His name was Tomikawa. Taro scoffed from beside his friends.

"I think you might be spoiling them right now," Hayato's tone held sarcasm and annoyance. He really didn't know when _not_ to run that mouth of his.

The air of artificial friendliness turned cold. "You know, you remind me of someone," Takagi said. He stepped closer, "And I don't like that person."

Sayuri looked at Take and Taro. She pointed to herself and mouthed '_watashi?_' The boys smiled and nodded their heads. The small girl pouted.

She turned back to the group and stepped forward, "Konbanwa!" She said it loud and cheerily as she skipped over in front of her classmates. Take and Taro walked towards her at their own pace.

The group of older boys shirked away from her as if she carried a disease. "Speak of the devil," Takagi muttered as he put his hands in his pocket. Kirishima and Tanaka came forward, confused at their _sempai's_ actions.

"So, you really were talking about me." Sayuri sighed. "But we're not alike," she pointed to Hayato without looking back. Take and Taro shook their heads in amusement at their friend.

"Go away," Tanaka yelled.

"Who is this stupid girl?" Kirishima turned around to ask everyone.

The 'stupid girl' kept up with the sociable act. She gave one of her psychotic expressions, "Aw, you didn't even tell them about me?" Numerous boys shivered from fear.

"Urusai," Tomikawa directed towards the two younger boys on his side. They backed down.

"We can handle this," Ryu said lowly to Sayuri. She turned around and smiled at him.

"I know," she replied matter-of-factly. "But being in the same class makes us comrades." Ryu and Hayato stared at her. She addressed Taro's cousin now, "Oi! If you guys can fight fairly, I won't get involved in this... that means either 1-on-1 or 2-on-2."

Takagi exhaled slowly. He looked at his group first, then back at Sayuri. "I guess I'll have to show them, ne?"

Everyone stepped away and formed a large circle in the center. Ryu was about to move up front, but Hayato stretched out his arm to stop his friend. "He said he didn't like _me_." They grinned at each other. Hayato moved to stand facing Takagi.

"Take-chan, do you have money on you?" the sole female questioned. The small boy nodded. She turned to Taro, and he nodded, too. "Bet you guys 2,000 yen that Yabuki wins this," she had a mischievous look on her face.

Taro shook his head at the girl. "You already know he will. You've fought both of them." Hearing that, the upperclassmen all exchanged glances with one another.

"Odagiri," Sayuri hesitated. "... kun... You want to bet?"

Ryu looked at her then smirked. "It'd be stupid to bet against you, ne?" Everyone thought that over.

After suddenly kicking a nearby rock on the ground, Takagi shouted in frustration, "Taro! Let's go. Oba-san will be here soon." He stalked away from the crowd. The others sighed in defeat and also began to make their way towards the front of the building to wait for their parents. They never caught a break with this girl. Sayuri and Take waved bye to their friend as he reluctantly followed the older boys. They never got violent with him, so there wasn't much to worry about.

Kirishima and Tanaka stood there for a moment. "What just happened?" they, along with a flabbergasted Hayato, said in unison.

"Do you really not know who I am?" Sayuri didn't take offence to it, and she didn't mean it in a self-centered way. She was just curious. "I heard there were rumours about me. Do you guys not have friends either?" Take, Ryu, and Hayato stifled their laughter. The two boys glared.

"Wakamatsu Sayuri," she pointed to herself. Her head was tilted, and she had a cute grin on her face.

"The Yankee chick?" they shouted. Her eye twitched.

"Maybe I should start trying to act more... _refined_," she directed towards Take with a frown. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The two boys slowly started backing away then made a run for it.

"You really are famous, huh?" Hayato said quietly. Sayuri shrugged.

"We should get going, Take-chan," she grabbed the boys hand and started dragging him to the front of the building.

"Chotto," Ryu said. He took a breath when they turned back around. "Arigatou, Wakamatsu." Hayato shuffled over to his friend and nodded his head upwards in what was supposed to be consent.

The girl stared at them with big eyes. She broke into a wide smile. "Yuri-chan is fine. Take-chan calls me that." She pointed to the boy by her side. "The other one that left was Ta-chan... but he only lets me call him that. You should probably call him Taro." The two boys nodded.

"Doesn't, ah, Taro call you something else?" Hayato asked in a mumble. Sayuri's face blanked.

Take laughed and answered. "He calls her Sa-chan."

"How appropriate," Ryu mused.

"Ne, Sa-chan." The girl scowled. All three boys chuckled. "You can call me Hayato."

"Ryu," the silent boy offered.

She waved. "Well, see you tomorrow. Haya-kun. Ryu-kun." She and Take turned to leave again but stopped.

"It's just Ryu," the tall boy said. "You don't have to be formal."

"Aren't we comrades or something?" Hayato looked at his feet.

Sayuri smiled brilliantly, "Hai!"

* * *

><p>The "<em>ta<em>" in Taro means big or thick, and the "_sa_" in Sayuri means small, so they're basically teasing each other's size :) I'm not really sure if it works like that, but please just go with it.


	5. Chapter 4: Valentine's Day Surprises

**A/N: **Sorry, for putting this up so late. My internet hasn't been working for the past couple days. I seriously had no way to get on. Because of that, I'm also a bit behind on school work, and I'm the idiot that thought having all honors classes would be _fun_. Now I'm just overworked. Writing definitely helps me relieve stress, but I barely get time for that anymore . Argh! It will take awhile for me to update now...

Thank you to all alerts and favorites, though. Really, you guys are awesome! And to **Ergelina**, I'm glad you liked this. I hope I don't disappoint.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Valentine's Day Surprises<strong>

The following morning, Yankumi was going around the Oedo household passing out chocolate to the males for Valentine's Day. Tetsu was overjoyed at having received one and believed he had won his 'battle'. (He didn't know that the rest of the family had kept theirs a secret to give him hope.) Sayuri wanted to get to school early, so she left without the math teacher.

"Yuri-chan!" this came from behind her as she arrived at the school gates. She turned around and saw Maki running up to her.

"Ah, Maki-chan, gomen. I didn't stop by because had to take care of something yesterday," it wasn't a complete lie. After she had _taken care of_ the ass, she thought that she should give the others space. She wasn't involved in the problem, so it'd be wrong to celebrate in the resolution.

"Hontoni? That's a relief," she sighed and smiled. "I was a little late to work and thought you came and left already."

"Why were you late?" the taller girl asked even though she knew.

"It was nothing," Maki waved it off.

Sayuri was in a happy mood after the events of yesterday. "Hmmm, was it a _boy_?" As the other girl stammered for an answer, she giggled, "Maki-chan, you're blushing. You must like him."

"Urusai," the red-faced girl said but laughed afterwards. "What about you, Yuri-chan? It's Valentine's Day."

"That's right... I guess I can assume you got him chocolate?" more laughs and blushes came. "Anyway, _I _just got to Tokyo."

"But you said that you lived here when you were younger, ne?" It was Maki's turn to tease, "Any first love or old boyfriends?"

The black haired girl just smiled, "Betsuni."

* * *

><p>At Kurogin, the teachers were also participating in the holiday. Shiratori-sensei had been too preoccupied with her thoughts of Tetsu and forgot to make the obligation chocolates for her eager male co-workers. All their excitement was shot down when she told them this. Baba-sensei, who was as much helplessly in love with Yankumi as Tetsu, wasn't doing any better. The yakuza heiress coolly brushed him off without any mention whatsoever of sweets. Vice Principal Sawatari, however, had received anonymous chocolate, and was thinking over his list of night club acquaintances. The actual sender was Wanibuchi-sensei, the music teacher, who either didn't know or care that he was married.<p>

In class, Yankumi passed out the chocolates she made for 3D. In the end, Sayuri _had_ helped out and guided the process, but somehow the sweets retained their deformed shape. Still, they went over well with the class.

"Doesn't taste as bad as it looks," said a rather surprised Hayato.

"It's unexpectedly good," followed Hyuuga.

Already smug, the pig-tailed woman stated, "Obviously. If I get serious, I can do it." Everyone in the classes nodded their heads and exclaimed _'umai'_. Ryu took a bite off of his piece and casted Yankumi an odd look.

* * *

><p>After school was over, Maki called Take out and handed him a wrapped box.<p>

"For me?" the bruised boy asked a little disbelievingly.

"There's no deep meaning to this. It's just to thank you," Maki still clearly remembered Sayuri's words from this morning. However, she couldn't help but laugh at the boy in front of her.

"I did it!" Take shouted over and over again excitedly. "I gotta tell everyone. I did it!"

From behind a tree, the homeroom teachers of the two students smiled. Kujo-sensei declared that he would follow Yankumi's footsteps in regards to teaching. The abashed woman blushed and took this opportunity to deliver him her chocolate. He accepted them gratefully.

The moment was ruined, though, because all of 3D had assembled and witnessed it. They, along with Maki, teased the two adults. This got Yankumi flustered and she chased after them.

"You guys, don't make fun of your teachers!"

Sayuri, who was waiting to walk home with her _nee-san_, was yet again observing from a distance. She gave a warm smile. Kujo-sensei wasn't partaking in the games, so he was the first to notice her.

"Ah, Wakamatsu," he said rather loudly.

Yankumi had stopped yelling and turned around at the exclamation, "Yuri-chan?" She walked towards the two, "Kujo-sensei, do you know Yuri-chan?" It was a pretty dumb question.

The younger girl rolled her eyes. "I go to the school he teaches at, _remember_?" A look of comprehension crossed the woman's face. "I'm actually in his homeroom."

"How do you know Wakamatsu, Yamaguchi-sensei?" the male inquired.

"Yuri-chan?" Maki and all of 3D had returned after realizing that they weren't being pursued anymore. "I thought you left already." The eyes of Hayato, Tsucchi and Hyuuga all immediately lit up once they caught sight of the girl. Ryu was thinking over the name.

"A-ah, eto, you see...," Yankumi struggled to answer Kujo-sensei.

Sayuri sauntered over and linked arms with the stammering woman. "We're cousins. _Ne, Nee-san_?" she gave her a slight tug for further measure.

"H-hai... She's actually staying with me right now."

"Ehhh?" Everyone shouted. It's not that they didn't believe the lie; they were all just trying to take in the fact.

"Uh!" Ryu uttered as if he had just solved a riddle. Everyone looked over at him. "Sa-chan." The memories flooded back to him, and he felt stupid for having forgotten this girl.

"Don't call me that," Sayuri wrinkled her nose at the nickname. She smiled, "It's been awhile, _Ryu-kun_."

"Don't call me that," Ryu replied with his own smile.

"Sa-chan? You mean Sayuri? _Haiirokin Elementary_ Sayuri?" Take asked while whipping his head back and forth from Ryu to Sayuri.

"Take," Sayuri beamed.

The previous question finally triggered Hayato's memory. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the girl by Yankumi's side, "Sa-chan!"

"Seriously, don't call me that." Despite her words, Sayuri's lips held an amused grin. "Were you always this slow, Hayato?"

"No, he's just gotten too many blows to the head," Ryu said matter-of-factly. Everyone, who had been watching the exchange quietly, chuckled and snickered.

"Oi!" Hayato glared at his best friend.

All the questions and comments that were building up finally came pouring out as everyone began shouting. "Are you really Yankumi's cousin?", "How old are you?", "Do you go to Momo's, too?", "How do you guys know her?", "Why can't we call you Sa-chan?", "Do you have a boyfriend?", "What's your number?"... Etc. After filling everyone in on the main points, the crowd broke up.

Maki had work again, so Sayuri offered to walk her. Ryu said he would come, too. Of course, this got Hayato wanting to tag along, which led to Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuga all volunteering also. She told Yankumi to go home first.

"I can come with you guys!" the teacher raised her hand enthusiastically.

"Dame," Ryu stated bluntly. The four boys nodded their heads in agreement.

Sayuri tried to be gentle, "We have some catching up to do."

"But even Maki-chan and Tsuchiya and Hyuuga are going," the older woman whined.

"I have work...," Maki said with a sorry smile.

"And I want to get to know the others," Sayuri really did want to know who her old friends were hanging out with now-a-days.

"Can't I just come, too?" she pouted.

"We don't want you to," Hayato deadpanned.

Sayuri lightly slapped his arm. "I'll see you at home, Nee-san," she waved with one hand while she pushed the group along. They quickly left before Yankumi could protest any further.

It was a pretty silent walk until the quietest of them all spoke up. "You made those chocolates Yankumi gave us, didn't you?" Ryu directed toward Sayuri. He was walking beside her, so she turned to look at him.

"I only helped."

"That makes sense," Hyuuga called out. "Yankumi wouldn't be able to make something that good... although it did _look_ like she made them." They all laughed at this.

"I just told Nee-san what to do and made sure she did it right," Sayuri stated.

Ryu put his hands in his pockets. "It tasted like the ones you made before." Sayuri turned back to him.

"You remember?" she asked impressed.

"That's right!" Take shouted. "Yuri-chan used to make the best chocolates." He smiled.

"She used to make them for you guys?" Tsucchi asked while fanning himself. His tone held a bit of envy.

"Iie," Hayato said bitterly. "She made them for _Ryu_. We would have to beg him to share some with us." Ryu smirked at this.

Maki nudged Sayuri with a smile. "Did you have a crush on him?"

The black haired girl remained unfazed. She shrugged, "He won."

"Huh?" Maki, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga all looked at her.

Take scratched his head sheepishly. "The boys in the class would always have a fight around Valentine's Day and other holidays. The winner got chocolate from Yuri-chan."

"It's cause _someone_ said, 'Sa-chan's chocolate is special. Only one person should get them, and it should be the one she likes the most.'" Ryu quoted while purposefully looking at Hayato. "She wouldn't pick, so it was decided that the strongest boy would get chocolate."

"He was the one that proposed that too," Take said with a laugh.

"It's your fault for saying the same thing every time when you always lost," Sayuri teased Hayato along with the others.

The four childhood friends had quickly gotten comfortable in each other's presence, almost forgetting that they've spent years apart. The group as a whole acted as if they all knew each other since forever. Things were like that with these 3D boys. It might be hard at first, but once they let you in, you became close.

"Tch, I could take him now." Both Ryu and Sayuri scoffed.

"Baka," she muttered.

"Yuri-chan is so lucky," Maki joked half seriously. "Always having guys fight over her."

Sayuri was going to say something about Take and the college bastard but remembered that _technically_ she wasn't supposed to know. "Just get to work," the girl responded with a shove forward since they had just arrived at the Zest Cantina. Maki laughed and followed her suggestion. The others got a table and sat down.

"So," Tsucchi began to change the topic. "Was that girl we saw you with your little sister?"

"Hai. She's in her third year of junior high."

"She used to be in love with me," Hayato chuckled to himself completely forgetting about his embarrassment from a moment ago. "She'd follow me around everywhere when we were little." Sayuri rolled her eyes at his vanity.

"Saki-chan? How is she?" Take asked sweetly. Out of the boys, he knew Sakura the best. It was because he had the time advantage of having met Sayuri first. "I feel a little bad for not recognizing you guys earlier."

Sayuri smiled. "Daijobu, Take. I only recognized your names after I heard them from Nee-san. And Sakura's fine. Actually, I don't think she's remembered you guys yet."

"Hontoni? How could she forget me?" Hayato questioned with a slightly wounded ego.

"Well, it's been about 9 years, and she was kind of young. It's only natural to forget," Ryu offered. Everyone nodded.

Maki had changed and clocked in for work already. She now made her way over to her new friends to take their order. "What will it be?" Everyone ordered some sort of drink that was quickly brought over on a tray.

"Arigatou," Take smiled cutely at Maki. She did the same, which earned giggles and 'ooh's from the rest. Take looked down at his drink in embarrassment.

"You guys can pay at the counter when you're done," the smaller girl wouldn't let their teasing get to her, or at least, she wouldn't let it show. She went off to continue working.

"Ne, Yuri-chan," Hyuuga turned to the other girl. "You didn't really answer before." She gave him a confused look. "Uh, do you have a boyfriend?" All the guys looked up. With the exception of Take, who was just curious, and Ryu, who barely showed emotion, they all stared at her with anticipation.

"Iie," she replied a little uncomfortably.

"Of course not! She may look like a girl, but Sa-chan basically acts like a guy," Hayato provoked. "That's why we got along with her so well."

With a coy smile, Sayuri leaned forward over the table with her chin in her hands. "But weren't you going to hit on me the other day, _Haya-kun_?" she asked innocently while batting her eyelashes.

Caught off guard, Hayato sat back in his seat and awkwardly laughed off her question. "... Iie..."

"Very convincing," Ryu commented sarcastically. Everyone at the table started laughing at their leader's expense.

"Today just isn't your day, huh?" Sayuri joked. She took a sip of her drink.

Hayato watched her. "Iie, it's been a great day." She looked up at him. "It's good to have you back, Sayuri."

She set her cup down, "You..."

"I second that," Take raised his hand. He had one of his cute smiles on.

"We didn't know you before," Tsucchi started while closing his fan.

"But we're glad we got to meet you now," Hyuuga finished.

Ryu just turned towards the girl and gave her a nod. This had her grinning from ear to ear at the five boys before her. They all smiled back at her.

"I thought Kurogin's 3D was supposed to be scary," Sayuri stated while looking at their faces. They all looked so _kind_.

"Tch. Like you'd be afraid of anything," Hayato countered.

Sayuri sniffed at his comment. "Fear is a part of life," she said in a matter-of-fact way.

"When did you get all philosophical on us?" the dark haired leader wondered.

"..." Everyone at the table stared at him.

"You actually know what that means?" Ryu asked genuinely surprised.

"Of course!" Hayato defended. He glanced around at all his friends... then quietly drank his drink. Today really _wasn't_ Hayato's day.

* * *

><p>"Are you going home, too?" Ryu asked Sayuri. The group had paid, said bye to Maki, and left the Zest Cantina already. The others had to get home, so it was just the two of them now.<p>

Sayuri shook her head. "I want to walk around a little." She gave him a smile that he knew was an invitation to join. They started off with no particular destination in mind and somehow ended up at the playground.

Sitting on the swings, Ryu told her about what happened since she left. He talked about the rest of elementary school, junior high, and high school. There was a lot more to say about the last one. He told her about entering school, being put in all the same classes with Hayato and Take, being labelled delinquents from the start, the confrontation with Ara High, his fight with Hayato, Yankumi, what happened with Kudo... it was the most he had said in a long while. Sayuri kept asking questions and commenting to keep him going. He had always been quiet since they were young, so she encouraged the change.

"... and what about you?" Ryu turned to her and asked. "Anything happen in these past 9 years?"

"Betsuni," the girl answered. Ryu crossed his arms and gave her a doubtful look. "Really, _nothing_ happens in Yokohama." Sayuri sighed then pouted at the memories... or lack thereof. "I didn't really adjust all that well."

Ryu smirked, "They just couldn't handle you." Sayuri gave him a brilliant smile.

"Obviously." They both laughed. The sound of Sayuri's phone ringing stopped them.

"Moshi moshi," she said as she picked up.

"Sayuri!" Wakamatsu yelled into the phone. Even Ryu could hear it from where he stood.

"Otou-san, calm down," she requested gently.

His voice did get quieter but it still held a bit of hysteria. "Where are you? It's late. I heard you were out with friends... _guy_ friends." Hearing that last part, Sayuri rolled her eyes. _That's_ what this was about?

"Did Nee-san tell you that?" the girl questioned coolly.

"Sakura did," her dad replied without hesitation. She could hear noise on the other line and a soft '_ow_' come from her father.

'_Yeah, and she heard it from Nee-san. I'm going to kill them both_,' Sayuri thought. "I'm on my way home now. Don't worry." Without saying anything further, she snapped her phone shut.

"I can walk you," Ryu offered.

She smiled, "Daijobu. I'll be fine." They stood there awkwardly for a moment. "I'll see you around. Ja ne."

She made it about a foot past him when Ryu grabbed her wrist. Sayuri looked back. "It'll be your turn to talk next time." They parted ways with smiles after that.

* * *

><p>Before Sayuri even stepped foot into the Oedo household, she met her father outside. Wakamatsu was standing guard at the door waiting for his daughter's return. Not only that, but he was pacing back and forth with his <em>katana<em> in hand.

"Otou-san, what are you doing?" Sayuri asked as she got closer.

The man looked towards his daughter's direction. His eyes never settled on her, though. He kept looking behind her and glancing around her searching for something. Finally, he opened his mouth to talk except it wasn't so quiet.

"THEY LET YOU WALK HOME ALONE?" Sayuri winced at his choice of volume.

"I can take care of myself, you know." She continued on before Wakamatsu could scream again, "I told him not to walk me home. Besides, Nee-san's students can't know about her background, ne?"

"H-hai." He answered after hearing her reasoning then something else registered with him. "_Him_... not _them_?"

Sayuri sighed. "The other guys went home. I was talking with Ryu."

"Alone," the word was said emotionlessly.

"Hai," the girl answered. "You know Nee-san's students are really good guys. And I've actually known a few of them from elementary school. Ryu is one of them. You probably don't remember that, though."

Wakamatsu took a deep breath. "I-is... h-he... y-your-"

"Can we do this inside?" Being February, the night air was a bit too chilly for Sayuri. She walked over to her dad and pulled him into the house. The first thing she saw on entering was the sight of her _imoto_ and _nee-san_ ducking behind a wall trying hard (but failing) to stay unnoticed.

"Both of you. Out. Now," Sayuri demanded. The two figures came forward to sit with Wakamatsu and Sayuri at the table. The latter girl glared at the other two but addressed her father. "I'm single, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. There are no boys for you to worry about, Otou-san."

"Hontoni?" Wakamatsu asked relieved but quickly added, "T-there's not s-something wrong with you, i-is there?" Sakura and Yankumi tried to hold back laughter while Sayuri's eye started twitching.

'_Does he want me to date or not?_' she thought. "Iie," she said with a strained smile. "I'm just happy with the way things are now," her smile relaxed as she found truth in the statement.

Her father nodded and smiled. "I am, too."

"Can you leave us alone for a little now?" Sayuri's features now took on a threatening look. "I have something to _talk_ about with these two." With an uneasy look at his youngest daughter and Ojou, the man left.

The other two at the table gave guilty laughs. "It wasn't me!" Yankumi blurted out while holding her hands up in submission. Sakura shot her a betrayed look.

Sayuri crossed her arms and nodded her head once. Turning to her sister, "What _exactly_ did you tell Otou-san to make him freak out that much?"

"I wasn't even really talking directly to him. I was talking to Nee-san," Sakura pointed to the older woman who refused to make eye contact with the other girl. "I said that it wasn't nice of you to force her to go home just so you could hang out with a bunch of cute guys."

The Momo girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know it's not like that."

"Hmmm, I know." Sayuri could hear the smile in her voice and opened her eyes to glare at the girl. "So…," Sakura started off. "Did you have fun?" She had to try hard to hold back the suggestiveness in her tone.

Sayuri sighed defeated and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did." Her anger really wouldn't benefit anyone right now. Besides, she would have done the same thing to Sakura had the situation been reversed. They were always like that with each other.

"Did they ask about our relationship?" Yankumi asked worriedly.

"Iie. I think they bought it," Sayuri assured. "Other than Ryu, they're all a little... _slow_. And Ryu doesn't think I'd lie." The math teacher laughed at the truth about her precious students.

"Ah!" Sakura exclaimed. "I remember now." Her _onee-chan_ turned to her expectantly. She smirked and looked towards the wall her and Yankumi were hiding behind when Sayuri had first come in. The three at the table could spot Wakamatsu's squatting figure protruding from the side. The opportunity was too good for a little sibling to pass up. "That guy was your old boyfriend, _ne_?" Sakura emphasized loudly.

"NANI?"

Yankumi and the younger girl ran off to bed laughing. Sayuri internally stewed. She was in for a long night.

'_She is _so_ dead now_,' Sayuri said to herself.


	6. Chapter 5: That Makes Sense

**A/N: **I neglected my History homework for this chapter. I would gladly choose Ryu and Hayato over the Glorious Revolution any day. My grades will just have to understand that my sanity needs this. Anyway, please show some love and review! I'd like to know what you all think :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: That Makes Sense<strong>

It was about a week after Valentine's Day, and things couldn't have been more normal. Sayuri loved it! Everything was working out fine at the Oedo household. Wakamatsu doted on both his daughters to a barely bearable extent. Kuroda was a kind grandfather figure as always, Sugawara was the silent uncle type, and Tetsu and Minoru acted as protective older brothers. Yankumi was… Yankumi. Sayuri didn't have much to worry about for school either. Her school in Yokohama had thoroughly prepared her for college entrance exams (she didn't exactly have anything there to distract her anyway.). She was getting along great with Maki and had made a few other friends at school, too. Most importantly, she hung out with the guys regularly. Kurogin's 3D saw her as an unofficial classmate and addition to their group. She felt welcomed and at home with them all. Tsucchi and Hyuuga were now almost as close to her as Ryu, Hayato, and Take.

"Moshi -," Ryu started to answer his phone, but was cut off by the person on the other line.

"Aren't you guys out yet?" Sayuri questioned a little impatiently. Normally, seniors would be out of school early, but 3D needed to attend full days to make up for absences and grades.

"Is it Sayuri?" Hayato asked from beside Ryu, who nodded. He took the cellphone out of the boy's hand. "Yankumi has us staying after for some interviews about our future or whatever," he explained. Their homeroom teacher was especially fired up this morning after hearing Vice Principal Sawatari go on yet again about how it would be difficult for 3D to graduate. "Where are you?"

"I'm outside right now," the girl said. "You guys can just meet me when you're done."

"Iie, we'll go now." Hayato hung up the phone and handed it back to Ryu before Sayuri could comment. He motioned for Take and Tsucchi to come over. "Where's Hyuuga?"

Tsucchi pointed his fan to a corner in the hall where the other boy was sleeping. "He's next for the interview, too." Hayato gave a slight shrug. Ryu looked over curiously at his friend. He was sleeping a lot lately.

"We'll call him to meet us when he's done." With that, the four boys walked out of the building. After seeing their leaders leave, the rest of 3D also walked out, dismissing their own meetings with the clueless teacher.

Sayuri was leaning against the front gates of Kurogin as they approached her. She turned towards them and sighed, "Nee-san will be mad."

"She'll get over it," Hayato said casually as he strolled over next to the girl and leaned against the wall.

"So, what are we going to do?" the girl questioned turning to the other three. "Wait, where's Hyuuga-kun?" she noted the boy's absence.

"Interview," Ryu answered impassively.

'_Well, at least someone went,'_ the girl thought. That made it somewhat better.

"We should probably wait at the park nearby for him." Take suggested. The others nodded, and the group of five set off. Sayuri skipped to the front with Take and Tsucchi while Ryu and Hayato lagged behind. The latter two just watched and smiled on as their friends goofed around.

Tsucchi had just teased Sayuri about something. Wanting to get even, Sayuri playfully pulled the tall boy's head down and ruffled his hair. She then stole his fan and ran ahead. The others laughed and chased after her. They made it to their destination but stopped when Sayuri had run into a group of guys.

"You again?" the one who was impacted most by the collision asked. Sayuri looked up. It took her a second, but she recognized the guy as the one she had run into when she and Sakura were searching for Take. The same group was with him now, and they all smiled at seeing the girl. After taking in her company, however, everyone's face hardened.

"Yabuki, Odagiri," one of the older guys acknowledged. Their names came out in a sneer, though. Hayato and Ryu said nothing back, but Tsucchi mumbled out something.

"Tomikawa."

"You wouldn't hang out with us," another of the guys started. "But _these guys_ are okay?"

Sayuri could sense the bodies behind her tensing up for a fight. She remained calm, though. "What can I say? I have pretty high standards."

The others scoffed. "You're trying to say they're better than us?"

The smaller girl was about to fire back some insult about them being idiots for not catching the hint, but Ryu's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Hayato, Take, and Tsucchi all moved forward, too. She looked back at them all. Kurogin's 3D was known for their bad relations with others, but this relationship seemed especially sour.

"Just leave now," Hayato told the group harshly.

"Stop acting so big, Yabuki." It was the good looking guy that said this. Sayuri stared at him. She guessed that he was the leader since he had so efficiently gotten the others to back off the last time they ran into each other. She had also assumed that he was an alright person since he didn't seem like the hostile type. Now, his tone and attitude pissed her off.

"Who's the one trying to acting big here?" the easily provoked girl said as she stepped forward. Ryu stretched out his arm before she could get far. He pushed her back and moved to stand in front, blocking her from the others.

"Let's not do this now," there was an edge in his voice. "… Taro."

"Eh?" Sayuri shot Ryu a bewildered look. She turned to Hayato and Take to do the same. Finally, her eyes settled on the owner of the name. "Ta-chan?" That nickname certainly didn't fit him now.

All eyes turned to Taro, who stood there with his eyebrows knit together. Only one person had ever called him that. Slowly, they came apart as he began to realize what this meant. "Sa-chan?" he all but whispered.

The others had told Sayuri that Taro drifted off from the group after she left Tokyo. They never really went into detail about any of it, though. Whenever she asked, they would shrug it off and ignore the question. Seeing him now, she could understand why. He was hanging out with Takagi, Tomikawa, and all the other lackeys from back at Haiirokin.

"Baka!" she yelled. "What the hell are you doing going around with these jerks?" The guys shouted and grunted in protest to the insult. They had recalled who the girl was, but seeing as she hadn't grown in her build, they thought little of her like they made the mistake of doing the first time they had met each other. Taro quieted them all down.

"Urusai!" he threw his hands into his pockets with a little more force than necessary. Refusing to look at Sayuri, he called out, "Ikuzo." It was an order, and everyone followed although they had more to say. They all glared as they passed the girl and the Kurogin students.

Sayuri turned around and grabbed Taro's arm before he could really leave. "Ta-chan," she said softly. There was a moment of hesitation where he dared a glimpse at the black haired girl and allowed himself to drop the tough leader act. Sayuri saw vulnerability, fear, and _guilt_ in his face. It didn't last long, though. He quickly shook off her hold, and the group stalked away after jeering at the rejected girl.

She looked back at the others with an expression that held hurt and confusion. "What was that just now?"

Tsucchi watched everyone's face. "That was Takagi from Todoroki Gakuen," he explained solemnly. "It looks like you know him, too." Sayuri nodded.

The tallest boy was informed of the past friendship they all had. He knew that the other three were acquainted with Taro beforehand, but he hadn't known they were close. In turn, he explained to her about their own confrontations with the new Takagi gang (same people under different leadership). Hyuuga and Tsucchi had had issues with some Todoroki guys back at the beginning of high school. Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Taro all got involved without knowing about the other's connection to the fight. It still didn't make much of a difference when they did find out, though. Since Taro's break from the group, their relations were severed and attitudes became antagonistic. This reached an almost unsalvageable point after having it out.

"He said that it was his fault you left," Take said quietly.

Hayato nodded, "That guy never explained, but he said he could have stopped it from happening."

"What did he mean by that?" Ryu asked looking towards Sayuri.

She stared down at her hands. "I don't know," she answered out loud. In her head, she was thinking back to 9 years ago, _'He couldn't have…'_

For a long moment, the group just silently sat deep in their own thoughts. They were all brought out of it, by the arrival of Hyuuga.

"Sorry for the wait," he shouted as he ran towards his friends. Take regained his cheerful air and stood up to meet him. The others chose to forget about the encounter from just a moment ago also.

"You finished?" the boy with the hairpins asked.

"Just finished. Ah…," Hyuuga started. "You guys skipping it?"

Hayato replied, "Interviews are too bothersome."

"She's getting excited all by herself about it," Ryu added.

"She means well," Sayuri practically said to herself. No one else bothered to comment or react to the fact.

Tsucchi made his was over to the other two standing individuals. "Okay, so where should we go?"

"Well…," Take began.

"Sorry," Hyuuga cut in. "I have to go to work now." Everyone turned towards the boy who held up a hand in apology.

"What work?" Hayato questioned. Hyuuga hadn't told any of them anything about work. He _was_ acting strange lately, though.

"What do you call it? Night job," the newly employed boy said with a happy chuckle.

Sayuri smiled, "That's great Hyuuga-kun." It was nice to see someone in 3D act maturely.

He grinned even wider, "Actually, I've been offered a great job. I'll probably take it. It's about time I thought about the future seriously. It's not like we can be like this forever." Sayuri had spoken too soon. She truly was happy for Hyuuga, but something about his attitude rubbed off the wrong way on all the others. "See ya," he ended and walked off.

"What's with him?" Tsucchi asked bothered like the rest of them.

"Hmm, he's decided." Take said it with a hint of condescension.

Hayato stood up and stretched. "Let's go." He decided not to think too much of Hyuuga's manner.

Take and Tsucchi moved to follow the dark haired leader. Ryu and Sayuri slowly got. They both looked towards Hyuuga who was now skipping away and sighed. He seemed really excited about this job, but it still didn't stop his friends from worrying.

"Anno, I actually think I'm going to go home." The guys all turned their eyes to Sayuri. The girl bit her lip and gave a sorry smile. "You guys should go on."

"Yuri-chan!" Take and Tsucchi whined together. Ryu and Hayato were more understanding.

"Wakatta," Hayato said. The mood was dampened before there was time to even set one. _They_ had no problem going out in this atmosphere, but it'd be normal if others did. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Sayuri assured with a grin. "Ja ne." She waved. The others waved back while Ryu just nodded his head.

* * *

><p>"This is soooooooo stupid!"<p>

"Sayuri-chan, shhhhhhh," Tetsu hushed the under-aged girl who was currently sitting at the bar with him.

Sayuri had dropped by the takoyaki stand on her way home. She knew it was closing time and decided it'd be a good idea to walk with Tetsu and Minoru. That was a mistake. Yankumi had dropped by and informed them of her dinner with Shiratori-sensei, Baba-sensei… and Kujo-sensei. Acting on jealousy, Tetsu followed the group to this restaurant. Minoru had gotten away by himself, but Sayuri was dragged along for moral support. (Tetsu's reasoning was that Minoru drew too much attention.) Now, the high school student sat squirming and trying to remain unnoticed by her _nee-san_ and homeroom teacher.

"You can't even do anything if you stay here. We'll just get caught," Sayuri hissed in a whisper. She had left the others because she wanted to get home and be alone with her thoughts. _This,_ right now, was far from what she wanted. Tetsu turned towards her and gave that sad, helpless look that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. She let out a sigh. "Don't just drink then. At least buy me something to eat," she crossed her arms and pouted. The man smiled and ordered.

The small girl stuffed herself with more food than one would think possible for someone her size. As she excused herself to use the bathroom, Tetsu sat spewing at his predicament. Yankumi was getting awfully cozy with the Momogaoka teacher. There was also that annoying gym teacher who kept making passes at his _ojou_. He was currently plotting the torture and removal of these two men in his head.

"Excuse me, are you by yourself?" the question broke through Tetsu's thoughts. They allowed his face to return from scheming to semi-friendly. He didn't bother to register the voice and dumbly turned to answer.

"No, I -" Recognizing his mistake, he turned away, but it was too late.

"Tetsu!" Yankumi exclaimed. The other teachers questioned how the two knew each other. They covered up with a half-truth. "He's the man that sells takoyaki in the neighborhood." Kujo-sensei's recollection from his one visit to the stand backed up the alibi. Shiratori-sensei excitedly went up and introduced herself to Tetsu. Finally having met her 'destined man' again, she wouldn't let this opportunity go and asked him out on the spot. Still, Tetsu managed to get away by Yankumi's wishes.

This, however, left Sayuri to fend for herself. She had caught Tetsu leaving in a rush, and assumed that what she had been waiting to happen all night happened: they were busted. She tried to stealthily make an exit from the bathroom, but that proved to be a difficult task.

"Wakamatsu?" the girl's homeroom teacher called out.

'_Crap!'_ Sayuri cursed. She cringed, but turned to face the adults.

Yankumi thought that she couldn't be any more shocked than to see Tetsu here, but seeing Sayuri was just as great a shock. "Yuri-chan!"

"N-nee-san …," the younger girl stammered while searching her head for an excuse. She could faintly hear Kujo-sensei explaining to the other two teachers who she was.

"What are you doing here?" the older woman asked in a menacing tone. Sayuri took a cautious step back.

"E-eto… O-ojii-san told me to come get you!" the girl nodded her head, satisfied with her own lie. "I think it's pretty important."

"You'll have to excuse us then," Yankumi told the other adults calmly. When she turned back, Sayuri cold practically see the murderous intent radiating from her eyes. She let out a small squeak as the yakuza heir yanked her along.

Tetsu was waiting close by outside of the restaurant. He walked over to meet the other two when they came out. He smartly kept his distance, though.

As they began walking, Yankumi's anger simmered. She walked ahead and addressed the other two without looking back, "Man, what are you doing? If they find out that I'm the Oedo family's granddaughter, I won't be able to teach at school."

"Gomen ne," Sayuri bowed her head.

"I'll be more careful," Tetsu did the same.

"Hyuuga," Yankumi suddenly called out. Sayuri whipped her head up.

"Hyuuga-kun?"

"Yankumi! Yuri-chan!" he said in surprise. Tetsu turned around to act as if he didn't know the two who were now looking the boy over. Hyuuga was in a _suit_? Another older man walked over. "Ah, this person is Tatsumi-san from the place I work at." Sayuri cocked an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tatsumi," the man introduced.

Yankumi got excited like always. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hyuuga's homeroom teacher, Yamaguchi. Please take care of him" She and Hyuuga both bowed. Sayuri chose to stay in the background but smiled at the woman's earnestness.

"Hai," Tatsumi smiled. "Such a young and cute teacher." Hyuuga tilted his head in slight confusion.

"Cute, you say?" Yankumi raised a hand to her cheek feeling giddy. Sayuri just rolled her eyes.

The man walked away, and Hyuuga followed him after a quick '_ja ne_'. Sayuri waved with a smile as Tetsu returned to the group.

"He looks like a respectable man," Yankumi said with a sigh. They all looked on to see people in the street making way for Tatsumi and bowing as he passed by.

"But he looks a little dangerous," Tetsu added.

The two girls looked at him. "You're one to talk," they said in unison. They continued walking.

"Ne, Nee-san?" Sayuri started. "Do you know what Hyuuga-kun actually does at his job?"

"Eh? He hasn't told you guys?" Yankumi knew very well that Sayuri spent as much time with her class as she did (if not more).

The girl shook her head. "We just found out today that he even has a job."

"He said he was a bartender's apprentice." Sayuri thought it over. So, that meant that his boss just now was the bar owner? That sort of explains the suits. People didn't necessarily have to bow to him in the streets, though, did they? Bars don't always mean trouble, but it's not like they advertise safe living. Maybe Tetsu's comment wasn't so far off.

The rest of the walk was spent with Sayuri quietly thinking to herself, Yankumi animatedly gushing over Kujo-sensei, and Tetsu getting his heart broken listening to her. They had arrived home before they even knew it.

Sayuri let out a deep breath. _'Finally, home at last!'_ She went ahead of the others and called out, "Tadaima." She stopped short at the entrance.

"Tadai -," Yankumi tried to announce but bumped into Sayuri's back. "Yuri-chan?" She followed the girl's line of vision. Wakamatsu and Sugawara were barely heard welcoming the others home. Tetsu entered the house but stayed by the doorway.

On the ground by the entrance was a drunk Minoru. That, however, wasn't what had frozen Sayuri in her place. Ryu and Hayato, who had helped bring Minoru home, stood staring back at their friend and homeroom teacher.

"Oh, you guys are here?" Yankumi cheerily addressed her students. "Don't be shy. Come on in." They all stared at the woman as she walked into the house but stopped after a few steps. She turned around, "Why are you here?" Ryu and Hayato looked on in shock while Tetsu frowned at the oncoming trouble. Wakamatsu and Sugawara watched in confusion. Sayuri just fixed a death glare on the now snoring Minoru.

* * *

><p>Everyone was escorted in and seated around the <em>kotatsu<em> while Sayuri and Sakura were in the kitchen making tea. "This is bad, isn't it?" the junior high student sighed. Her _onee-chan_ said nothing in response. She was trying to listen to the conversation in the other room.

There was a noise and Tetsu's voice was heard. "Baka, this is all your fault." Sayuri only thought that the noise she heard should have and would have been louder if she were out there.

"Sumimasen," Minoru apologized. A short silence followed.

"I'm sure you're surprised seeing such thugs here. Even though they look like this, they're really interesting and good guys, ne?" Yankumi explained in a happy voice that was obviously forced. Sayuri could hear unconvincing laughs and answers coming from the others.

"Anno…," Ryu began. "What's the Oedo Family?" Ah, the awkward air reached all the way to Sayuri and Sakura in the kitchen. Everyone tensed.

"A theatrical company," the math teacher randomly threw out.

"Huh?" the girls in the kitchen said in sync with the men at the table.

"A touring one, ne?" The others all nodded.

Sayuri and Sakura made their way out to join them with the tea trays in their hands. The older girl chickened out last minute, though. She pulled her _imoto_ back, and they instead stood spying on the others.

"The one on the end is the Oedo group's actor, Sugawara." Yankumi pointed, and the man whipped out a fan to play his part. "And this is the male actor who does female Kabuki roles, Wakamatsu."

"…" The girls were speechless as their father pulled his _yukata_ more closely to his body and flailed his arms around in girl movements that even Sakura didn't do. '_What is Nee-san thinking?_' crossed both of the sisters' minds along with '_What is Otou-san doing?_'

"The one in charge of stage settings, Minoru. And star actor, Tetsu," Yankumi introduced the others who also added in little flares to their characters. "And the leader of the company…," she looked expectantly to her grandfather.

"It's no use," Sakura said stepping forward and placing her tray on the table.

Sayuri followed and came out of hiding, "I can't watch this."

Kuroda was next to talk. "How long are you planning to act like this? I'm sure the students already know." All eyes turned to the two.

"You're really bad at acting," Hayato told his teacher in a low voice.

"Why are you trying to hide it?" Ryu asked.

"Young men like you might now understand this," the Oedo boss said while moving to kneel. "But society is very picky." Being mistreated for looking and acting like delinquents, they understood it more than he knew.

"If they find out about my background," Yankumi said gravely. "I'll be fired." Ryu and Hayato's eyes widened a bit. "So, I hid it for now"

"But now that you guys know, we can't help it," Sakura said sadly from the other end of the table. Everyone sighed and looked down.

"It's not really relevant," Ryu told them all. "We're not interested in a teacher's background."

"We're not going to expose you," Hayato said while trying to keep his voice indifferent. Sayuri stared at the boys, a smile forming on her lips.

"You guys…" Yankumi got up to ruffle the boys' hair. "Really are my students." Sayuri laughed and got up to do the same.

"Softies…"

"You really are good people," Minoru said in a squeaky voice. The high school girl sent him a warning look. Tetsu slapped him and reminded him that this was still his fault.

"Alright, let's have a drink," Wakamatsu said enthusiastically. He placed a large bottle on the table. "Drink up."

"Otou-san, they're under-aged." Sakura told her father in a blank voice.

"I knew that," he laughed and pulled the bottle back.

"Please take care of Kumiko," Kuroda bowed down from his position at the head of the table. Sayuri moved back to where Sakura was sitting.

Together they both bowed, "Please take care of Nee-san."

The rest of the Oedo family did the same "Please!" Ryu and Hayato shifted around uncomfortably.

"H-hai," they stuttered quietly.

Sayuri looked up and smiled at them. She stood up excitedly. "You guys should stay for dinner!" She turned to the adults for consent. "Ojii-san?"

The old man gave a hearty laugh, "We'd be glad to have you… what were your names again?" He gave them a kind smile that eased their distress.

"I'm Yabuki Hayato," the dark haired boy said politely.

"Odagiri Ryu," the other one offered up a shy nod.

Wakamatsu reacted to the last name. It had seemed like these two were close to Sayuri since they entered the house, but the name confirmed everything. It was the only name he had heard his daughter mention. The one she was _alone_ with on Valentine's Day.

Sensing the change in her father's behavior, Sayuri moved quickly. She walked over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is my father. I don't think you guys ever met when we were little." They all knew each other's mothers, but for the most part, fathers remained unknown. Ryu and Hayato's fathers were seen only on a few occasions.

The man tried but failed to keep up the friendly air he had had when he didn't know who these two were in relation to his daughter. "Hmph," he grunted. The others all chuckled. It was so transparent the way Wakamatsu was treating them and why.

Ryu and Hayato exchanged looks. This explained a lot of things regarding their friend – her freakish fighting ability, her weird vocabulary when they were young, her lack of fear, and her lack of femininity… She was raised in a yakuza environment like Yankumi was.

"Anno," Hayato looked towards his homeroom teacher. "Are you guys really cousins then?"

"Iie," the woman answered with a slight smile. "We just needed a cover story."

"We're still family, though." Sayuri beamed at her _nee-san_. She looked at the other Oedo members, too. They all looked at the girl fondly. Even Wakamatsu lightened up.

"Of course," the yakuza boss said. The Kurogin boys stared at the warm scene before them. It did feel like a family to them.

"You guys are staying, ne?" Sayuri asked. They couldn't say no to her with the look she had on her face. She looked just like a little child waiting for her Christmas present from Santa.

"Yeah." Hayato smiled. His mouth returned to a flat line, however, when he caught Wakamatsu's threatening gaze.

"Otou-san, don't you have some work to do?" Sayuri tried to get her father away. He was acting unnecessarily scary at the moment. "Why don't you go take care of whatever. Nee-san will watch after our _guests,_" she emphasized the word. You were supposed to be nice to your guests. "I'll start dinner and call all of you when it's done."

"Why don't you stay, Sayuri?" This came from Kuroda. "They're your friends, too. Tetsu always made dinner before; he'll be fine doing it now." The older man looked towards Tetsu who answered with a '_hai_' and left for the kitchen. Sakura wasn't mentioned because the whole family knew of her horrible cooking skills. She was like Yankumi in that aspect. "Sugawara, take Minoru to rest and freshen up for dinner. And Wakamatsu, there was something we needed to go over. Let's talk somewhere else."

The second-in-command of the Oedo family faltered. He didn't want to leave Sayuri with these guys. She wouldn't be alone, but he wasn't really thinking it over rationally. He debated for a long moment. In the end, he listened to his boss. "Hai." Sayuri shot the older man a grateful smile. He winked back at her.

"So…," she sat down opposite the boys. "You guys aren't mad, are you?"

"Why would we be?" Ryu asked.

"Cause I didn't tell you about… this," she motioned to the space around her.

Hayato shrugged. "We thought you were a gangster before. The only difference now is that we _know_ you are." Sayuri pouted her lips at his affront. He laughed at her.

Yankumi smiled from her seat. "You guys really get along great together, don't you? _It's so cute!_" She squealed. They all looked at the woman then quickly turned away and ignored her. She frowned but let it go. "I'll leave you guys to talk," she got up and went to her room. The two boys allowed smiles to show when her back was turned.

Next, the three friends focused their sights on Sakura, who had been watching everything. "Go do homework," Sayuri commanded.

"I don't have any," the younger girl stuck out her tongue. Hayato chuckled.

"We didn't even say hi yet," he pointed out. "Hey, Saki-chan. Remember me?" He gave a charming smile.

The girl gave her head a shake. "Should I?" Ryu and Sayuri busted out laughing. Hayato's eye started twitching.

"You really don't? Haya-kun. Didn't you follow your sister around just to see me?" his voice was starting to sound desperate.

Sakura tried to think back. "I followed Onee-chan around to see… you." She jabbed a finger in Hayato's direction. The corners of her lips slowly began to curve up. Hayato nodded his head eagerly. "You're Taku's aniki."

"…" Sayuri and Ryu suppressed more laughter as signs of Hayato's ego deflating became visible on his face. "You -"

"How is Taku?" Sakura interrupted the Kurogin senior. "I wonder if he remembers me. What school does he go to? Do you have his number? We should all meet up sometime!" Taku and Sakura were as close as Sayuri and the guys when they were all little. It was stupid of Hayato to not even remember that and automatically think of himself as the reason for Sakura's constant following. They were the same age and even went to kindergarten together.

"Yeah, we'll call him out some time," Sayuri said with a teasing smile directed at Hayato. The boy looked away. "I haven't seen Taku-kun in a while either."

"He's busy," the dark haired boy told them.

"With what?" Ryu raised an eyebrow to question his friend. His jealously was so blatantly obvious that it was sad.

"School… and other… stuff." The others all nodded patronizingly at his lame excuse.

"Hmmm. Aren't you guys in the same grade?" Sayuri turned to her little sister.

"I'm free all the time, it's so boring," the girl answered. The two sisters turned to the boy and gave him playful smiles.

"Urusai," he muttered at them. Everyone at the table laughed at him.

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><p>"Don't start any fights before you get home," Sayuri called out from the doorway of the Oedo household. Dinner had gone by in a more or less pleasant and genial atmosphere. Wakamatsu gave up actively trying to keep the boys away from his daughter. He had settled for quietly watching over them all.<p>

"Don't worry," Ryu answered. He wasn't the problem, though. Sayuri knew that Ryu could control himself. Hayato, on the other hand…

"If no one tries to start anything with us, then there'll be nothing to worry about," the hotheaded boy said with his hands in his pockets. Well, Sayuri could compromise with that. It usually wasn't 3D who started the fights. They were the ones that made it escalate further than necessary, but she wasn't about to bring that up right now.

"Just be careful," the girl requested.

"Hai hai," the dark haired boy said like he was talking to his nagging mother. Sayuri rolled her eyes but smiled. She turned to go back inside.

"When you left," Ryu started in a voice that called for attention. They others looked over at him. "Was it because of this?" he nodded his head towards the house. Hayato turned to Sayuri. He was curious, too.

The girl wouldn't meet their gazes. "It was complicated back then…"

Hayato opened his mouth to press the topic, but Ryu held out a hand to stop his friend. "Wakatta," he could tell that she was holding something back on purpose. "You know you can always talk to us, though."

Sayuri stared down at her feet. Ryu's perceptiveness was nice when he chose to be considerate about it, but it also meant that he was harder to fool. She gave a hesitant smile, "Mhm." The boys nodded their heads as if to reassure her.

"Well, ja ne," Hayato said holding up two fingers to make his signature bunny ears. Ryu followed, and Sayuri answered with her own. The boys turned to walk away, but this time it was Sayuri to stop them.

"Ah, I forgot," she exclaimed. "I found out what Hyuuga-kun's job is." Ryu and Hayato looked towards her in anticipation. "Nee-san says he's a bartender's apprentice."

"So he works at a bar?" Hayato questioned tilting his head slightly to the side.

"_Bar_tender's usually work at bars," Ryu stated blandly.

Hayato gave his best friend a look, "I just mean that bars can be shady places. You worked at one, too. You should know." The quiet boy nodded his head in agreement. Sayuri did the same. She heard about everything from Ryu. They all knew what happened when he had tried to get out of it, too. Yankumi had been there to help him, and she'd be here for Hyuuga. But standing under the streetlights, the others could only think that it'd be nice if for once, there would be no trouble and need for saving.


	7. Chapter 6: Parents Are Great

**A/N:** Hontoni gomen! It's been too long since I've updated. It's just that my computer broke down, and I lost everything: stories, music, Gokusen episodes... I couldn't get homework done either. Things still aren't really worked out yet, so it'll be hard, but I will try to update more. The bright side to all this is that I got to write out some more chapters during my seclusion. I'll put those up soon. I'm also trying to get my other stories out, but I think I might do that after I've finished this one. I'm debating it…

Thank you, **Chocolatpen**! I'm working on getting chapters out sooner. I wasn't so sure if people would like this story, but I hope you like everything I have planned ^^

And to **KuroYume**: I'm so happy you liked it :D I was thinking about having more parts from their childhood, but I couldn't really find a way to add it and make it relevant to the story. I came up with some ideas, though. I still might do the drabbles like you said, but I think those will take a while to be uploaded. Gomenasai . (And you'll find out about Taro soon.)

**Inferno Caeli:** I love your enthusiasm! Thank you for reviewing. I'll try to update more.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Parents Are Great<strong>

After all that happened yesterday, Ryu and Hayato went off to school guarded. They had no trouble believing that Yankumi had the type of background she had, but it was still a lot to take in. This didn't change how they would treat her at all; it just gave them some more things to think about. As the Oedo heiress entered the class, looks were exchanged between her and the two leaders. For the most part, however, school was normal. The math teacher was again over zealous about her students' future plans and brought in college info and job listings. The only thing that deviated from the standard routine was Hyuuga's absence. Hearing from the others that he was working during the day, making a lot of money and not going home either, Yankumi automatically assumed that he was "involved in some risky shit". Unfortunately, she had said the yakuza slang out loud. It proved to be fairly easy to fool the dense 3D, though. Ryu and Hayato could only sit back and look on at the stupidity of their teacher and classmates.

While that was happening with the guys, Sayuri was going through a similar situation. Kujo-sensei was also particularly keen on setting his students on the 'right track' today.

"Minna-san, I know that the majority of you have already decided on what you'll do after graduation, but there are still some who are undecided. So while the others keep studying for your entrance exams or whatever you need to do, I'll have talks out in the hall with these few and finalize your decisions," the male teacher smiled at them good-naturedly. Maki turned towards Sayuri and rolled her eyes. Kujo-sensei called some girl's name who they weren't all that familiar with. Once they left the room, Maki sighed and put her head on her desk, burying it in her arms.

"I can barely decide what I'm going to do after school," the muffled words came out. "How am I supposed to know for after _graduation_?" Sayuri smiled sympathetically.

"Daijobu, Maki-chan. You're not the only one." The girls turned their heads. The voice had come from someone else.

It was Yamamoto Aiko, their other friend. She was part of class 3A just like Sayuri and Maki, but that was the only similarity. She was a demure girl who looked younger than her actual age… the Take of the group. She was petite with black hair that reached just above her shoulders. Her eyes were doe-like and made you want to protect her. Aiko had been friends with Maki before Sayuri had arrived. She opened up to her with ease, though. It had become known for the four girls to stick together in school – Sayuri, Maki, Aiko, and Higuchi Naomi who was also present at the moment.

Naomi was like the other two girls in that she had a backbone, but that was sort of an understatement. She was hotheaded and rash. Her temper wasn't something to mess with. She had long, golden brown locks with blond highlights. Her features were sharp and gave her a mature look. She was the outgoing one of the bunch, always ready to have fun. Although she could be loud, she was really a caring girl. She knew when to quiet down and listen to others.

"Ne, Ai-chan is right. We're all a little lost," Naomi said thoughtfully.

"Didn't you say you were going into the medical field, Naomi-chan?" Maki light haired girl let out a deep breath.

"That's what my parents want, but I'm not so sure." Naomi's family came from a line of doctors. Great grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts - everyone was in some way affiliated with medicine.

"That's better than them opposing what _you_ want," Sayuri said quietly. She had a profession in mind: a lawyer. She already decided. She wanted her own law firm and to become the Oedo family's private lawyer. Of course, her mother disapproved, and even Wakamatsu didn't seem too happy about it. "He probably doesn't want me involved with the _okami_," she said that last part to herself.

"Huh?" her three friends all exclaimed together. Sayuri broke from her daze and cursed under her breath. She was starting to pick up on the yakuza talk from the other members of the Oedo family.

"E-eto, I meant the police. My dad wouldn't want me involved in some risk- ah. I mean something dangerous...," she stopped herself before making the same mistake her _nee-san_ had.

"That's true," Aiko said in understanding. Sayuri smiled nervously, but the others didn't catch it.

"You mentioned law, ne?" she had talked to Maki about this before, omitting the yakuza aspects. "You won't have a problem with your grades, and I'm sure you'll convince your parents somehow."

"And you talked about being a grade school teacher," Sayuri recalled. Maki had an undying affection and tolerance for toddlers. "I think that'd be good. Kids love you," she added with a smile, thinking of Take as one of those 'kids'.

"I agree with Yuri-chan," Naomi raised her hand. Aiko nodded her agreement. "There's that elementary school by your house, too. I'm sure you'd have a shot at getting a job there."

"Or that day care center," the smallest girl chimed in.

"What do you think?" Sayuri turned to Maki. It really only mattered how she felt about it.

"Hmmm, I think I'd like to be a teacher like Yamaguchi-sensei," the girl answered. "Her dedication to her students is truly amazing." Maki had grown to admire the pig-tailed woman ever since the whole incident with that college guy.

"You mean the one from Kurogin? 3D's teacher?" Naomi asked. Having their schools so close and 3D with their far spreading reputation, the girls knew much of their business.

"She's the one that's Yuri-chan's cousin, ne?" Aiko cocked her head. They had been told the same thing as Maki and everyone else.

"H-hai," was all Sayuri managed to get out. All this secret keeping was really starting to stress her out. She should have said they weren't related instead of lying that they were cousins. With her luck, though, she probably still would have been sucked into the charade somehow. "It's always been her dream. Her dad was a teacher, too. I guess she was just born for this job," she mused.

"If only we could all be so fortunate," Maki said with a sigh. Her friends followed with sighs of their own.

"Yamamoto," Kujo-sensei called out from the doorway. Aiko looked up and gave a sad smile. Naomi put on a comically serious expression. She raised her fist and mouthed '_ganbatte_' as if the petite girl were going out into battle. Aiko playfully shook her head and went off to meet her homeroom teacher. The others sat back to await their turns.

"So...," Naomi started off. "What are you guys all doing after school?" She said it to tease Maki about her previous statement and also because she was curious.

"I actually have work," the short haired girl said. "But that's not until later."

Naomi nodded and turned to Sayuri. "I'm meeting up with friends," she said vaguely.

The two girls both had suggestive looks on their faces. "Guys?"

"Take and the others," Sayuri said knowing they'd simmer down. Maki was immune to 3D now, and Naomi wasn't scared of them. She held little interest for them at all.

"You guys are really close, ne?" Maki asked. Sayuri caught something in her tone, though.

"Are you... _jealous_?" she had to suppress her giggles when the other girl glared at her. Naomi was less than considerate and became the next victim of Maki's gaze. "You know we're childhood friends, Maki-chan. Besides, Take only likes you." Everyone knew that there was something going on between the two.

"I didn't say I was jealous," she replied curtly.

"Riiiiight," Sayuri and Naomi teased on. Maki frowned a bit but cracked a smile hearing her friends laugh so heartily.

"What about you Naomi-chan?" she asked. Sayuri stopped laughing and turned to the light haired girl who gave a huge grin.

"I have a date." Before either girl could ask, Naomi continued, "He's not amazingly good looking or anything, but I'd say he's pretty easy on the eyes. He's out of high school and two years older than me. I met him at my grandfather's hospital. He was being admitted for a dislocated shoulder. We talked a little, and he asked me out."

"Hontoni?" Maki smiled. "That's great! He must be a nice guy." That was the only explanation she could come up with for her friend to move this quick.

"Naomi-chan doesn't seem to go for nice guys," Sayuri stated. It was true. Naomi preferred what she called 'fun guys'. They weren't always the best choice of men. Even in the small amount of time she's known her, Sayuri could tell that. "Just be careful."

"Hai, _Okaa-san_," Naomi said jokingly. Maki laughed. They knew the black haired girl meant well, but sometimes, she worried too much. Sayuri stuck her tongue out at the others. Yeah, and sometimes, she was just a kid.

* * *

><p>"You're late," Hayato stated dully as the door to Café de Rovne closed behind Sayuri. The meetings had taken a lot longer than anyone had expected. She was also the last one to go and the one with the most to talk about. Slowly, she made her way towards the others and plopped down in the seat in between Take and Tsucchi.<p>

"Maybe you guys are just early," the dark headed girl retorted.

"We get out later than you. You're usually the one waiting for us anyway," Ryu countered. Sayuri pursed her lips. Two against one was totally unfair.

"Gomen," she said in tired voice. Hayato didn't register the defeat in her tone, though. To him, Sayuri's compliance was only because Ryu had spoken. He sat back in his seat and pouted. He was ignored for the most part. "There was something at school."

"Nani?" Take asked while taking a sip of his drink.

"Kujo-sensei being influenced by Nee-san _way_ too much." The others all gave questioning looks. "He was going on about future plans. I had to stay after and talk it over with him," she explained.

"You still haven't decided yet?" Tsucchi asked genuinely surprised. "I thought Yankumi would have made sure about your future before ours."

"She knows she doesn't have to worry about me," the girl told them. "I don't go around causing half as much trouble as _some_ people." She stuck her tongue out at them like she had with Maki and Naomi. If it were anyone else, the guys would have gotten upset, but they knew Sayuri didn't mean any harm by the comment.

"Well, you'll figure out something," Take assured her. Sayuri smiled back.

"I'm sure you have plenty of options. What does your family do?" Tsucchi questioned. He was thinking that she could follow in their footsteps.

"E-eh?" the Momo student bit down on her lip and glanced over at Ryu and Hayato for help. They suddenly found their shoes very interesting and refused to look up. She was struggling for an answer when Take spoke up.

"Ne, that reminds me. How's your mom? She should really meet up with mine sometime," he suggested. "They were so close before."

Sayuri's eyes dimmed. She put on a smile though, "She's fine. I'll tell her to call your mom if she ever visits." The others all looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" Tsucchi asked confused.

"My parents aren't... together," she tried to explain. "Sakura and I came here to live with our dad." She knew it wasn't likely, but Sayuri had hoped that they would all somehow find out that detail about her life and spare her the awkward explanation. She didn't like telling people something she rarely said to herself.

"That's why we didn't see her," Hayato whispered. Luckily, only Ryu, who was sitting beside him, heard. The dark haired leader was wondering why none of them knew about this. Even if Sayuri didn't say it herself, shouldn't they have heard it from their parents or something? His mom was especially close to Sayuri's when she was alive.

"Is that why you left?" Ryu directed towards the black haired girl. She took a deep breath and nodded her head, but she forgot that Ryu could read her like a book. "It's not the only reason, though."

"I said it was complicated, didn't I?" Sayuri smiled slightly in an attempt to keep the atmosphere light. It was obvious she wouldn't tell them anymore. She got up and walked over to the bar to place an order with the owner. The guys all sighed and went back to whatever it was they were doing before their friend arrived.

"Keeping secrets is bad for your health," the old man told her lowly. She stared up at him. "They're good guys. I'm sure you can tell them whatever it is you're hiding."

"It's -"

"Complicated?" the man chuckled. He went to the back to prepare her order, all the while shaking his head.

Sayuri scratched hers and let out a deep breath. _'He's probably right.'_ Just then, the bell to the cafe rang alerting a new customer. It was Hyuuga, who came strolling in fully decked out with new clothes and accessories. Sayuri cringed, _'Who would sell him that?'_

"Oh, long time no see," Hyuuga waltzed toward his friends. "Doing good?"

It was Tsucchi who replied, but he didn't answer the question. "Hey, hey, what have you been doing?" It had been a while since they last talked to each other.

Take pointed to Hyuuga's attire, "What is that?"

"This?" the employed boy asked while fingering his gold chain. He moved to sit in the seat Sayuri had been sitting in a moment ago. "The owner told me your value won't increase unless you wear expensive clothes." The others didn't say anything regarding this statement.

"We were worried because you weren't coming to school," Take said seriously.

"You know, I'm really busy nowadays. A night job takes a lot of effort." This was the same attitude he had used when he told them he had a job. No one liked it any better this time around. "If I work hard at it, they might make me manager. The guy I'm learning from seems to be some big shot. Obviously, working under such a guy makes me want to work even harder." There was excitement in Hyuuga's voice, but everyone could hear the hint of superiority in it also.

"You're not doing some dangerous jobs, are you?" Hayato was uncharacteristically serious like Take.

"Nani? What're you saying?" Hyuuga half laughed and half scoffed. "You sound like Yankumi."

Ryu set down the drink in his hand. "We're just worried about you."

"How about worrying about yourselves?" his tone caught everyone off guard. "You guys still haven't decided your jobs yet, right?" Sayuri had the urge to punch him and tell him to stop being such a pompous ass. Someone else beat her to it, though.

Tsucchi quickly rose from his seat and slammed Hyuuga up against the banister. "Try saying it one more time," he yelled. Take got up and futilely tried to calm down the taller boy. "Stop being so arrogant!" He continued to ignore Take's attempts. "Work's so great?"

"Stop it already," Sayuri said calmly from the bar. He was too caught up, though.

"Why don't you stop this...," he said angrily. Finally, Hyuuga and Take were able to shake off Tsucchi's hold. Hyuuga brushed himself off like his clothes were dirtied. It reminded Hayato of elementary school when he and Ryu had fought Kirishima and Tanaka.

"I'm busy, so I'm gonna go now," his tone was still haughty. He slapped down some money on the table. "It's my treat today," and just like that, he turned and left.

"Hyuuga-kun!" Sayuri called.

"What the hell!" Tsucchi shouted. "That really makes me mad." Everyone was as equally pissed. They all huffed angrily.

Sayuri frowned. Everything was going so great before. She didn't want anything to disrupt the peace they had. She grabbed her bag and ran out. "I'll see you guys later," she shouted behind her. It was too quick for any of them to react. They could only watch her leave in slight confusion.

She didn't have to go far before she found Hyuuga. She ran up from behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Yo," she grinned. Hyuuga turned back with wide eyes.

"Yuri-chan? Where'd you come from?" Hyuuga questioned.

This made the girl falter a bit. She pointed in the direction they had both come in. "I was at Cafe de Rovne with the others. Didn't you see me?"

"Eh?" Hyuuga exclaimed. He chuckled a little and raised a hand to the back of his head. "Ah, gomen." This made him seem like his old self.

Sayuri giggled. "Wow, work must really be amazing. It got Hyuuga-kun to stop thinking about girls," she faux gasped.

The boy laughed, "Not completely. I don't think that's possible." They both started walking again.

"Are you going to work now?" Sayuri asked.

"Hm, but I need to pick something up at home first," he told her. She nodded her head.

"I'll come with you," the girl stated instead of asked. She skipped ahead as if she actually knew where she was going.

"Ah, there's not much for you to see... If you really want, you can just meet me at my work. I'll give you the address!" Hyuuga suggested. Sayuri turned around and tilted her head.

"Doshite? Can't I come to your house?" He was acting evasive about the whole thing.

"My mom might be there," he mumbled. This drew a laugh from Sayuri.

"Daijobu, parents like me," she said. Hyuuga still seemed to hesitate, though. Sayuri smiled slyly. "Iie, maybe I shouldn't go. It looks like Hyuuga-kun doesn't have experience with this sort of thing," she had to turn around so that he wouldn't see her smirk. "Gomen, I shouldn't have assumed."

Almost instantly, Hyuuga's chest puffed up, he gained a defensive air. "Tch, I - " he struggled for some comeback. "Yeah, you can come," he finally said.

"If you insist..." Sayuri grinned. Hyuuga's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he tried to figure out what went wrong in their conversation. He sighed and moved forward but quickly back tracked and almost walked right into Sayuri.

The boy cleared his throat awkwardly, "It's this way." He pointed in the opposite direction and laughed. The black haired girl playfully shook her head. They both continued on, keeping up light banter. Sayuri knew that pushing Hyuuga too far wouldn't be smart. You had to be gentle about certain things. Experience taught her that. They were making their way up the stairs to his house when she got serious.

"You know the guys were just worried about you back there," she said quietly. Hyuuga took in a deep breath and nodded. "They care. You all should really sit down and talk when you're calmer."

"I went a little out of line, ne?" Hyuuga said as he turned his key in the doorknob. His face told Sayuri that he really did regret what he said. She patted his back to tell him it was okay. They both entered the house.

"Kosuke," a voice called and made them both stop at the doorway.

"Nee-san," Sayuri whispered as the woman got up from her seat. She didn't harp on the fact long, though. She quickly turned to Hyuuga's mom and bowed her greetings. "Konnichiwa, I'm Hyuuga-kun's friend, Wakamatsu Sayuri." The older woman smiled at her.

"What are you doing here, Yankumi?" the Kurogin boy asked completely ignoring the other two.

"I came to speak to your mother because you seemed a little weird lately," his teacher explained.

"Huh? There's nothing weird. I have a job that's all," Hyuuga made his comment sound nonchalant.

His mother looked up, "Job?"

"You haven't told your mother yet?" Sayuri asked in a reproachful voice from beside the boy.

He still tried to play it off as nothing. "I was planning to tell her when it was official. And then I'm going to live on my own." At this, his mother whipped her head up.

"Hyuuga, why don't the three of us talk this through? And tell your mother about your work properly, too." Yankumi nodded her head at Sayuri giving her the sign to back out.

"That's too much trouble," Hyuuga said before the girl could open her mouth to take her leave.

The pig-tailed teacher ignored him, "Mrs. Hyuuga, if that's okay with you."

"You know," Hyuuga shouted angrily over the woman. "High school isn't mandatory. I'm over eighteen now. An adult. Parents have nothing to do with it anymore."

"They do," Yankumi said calmly.

"They don't," the 'adult' answered in child-like defiance.

His mother got up. "It's okay, I won't force you if you're unwilling." Hyuuga looked over at her and Sayuri could have sworn she saw disappointment in his face. He didn't want to get off so easy?

The yakuza heiress was losing patience. "Sit down," she told her student. She put her hand on Hyuuga's arm to guide him to the couch, "Talk to your mother."

He shook her hold off and shouted, "That's too annoying!"

Sayuri couldn't hold her tongue anymore. She struggled to keep her voice composed, "What do you mean? You have to tell your parents these things."

"Sensei," the woman pleaded with Yankumi to stop. She gave Sayuri a look that asked her to do the same.

Hyuuga rudely yelled, "I told you it's annoying! Don't interfere in everything I do." Sayuri's fist clenched as she felt the urge to punch her friend for the second time this day.

"Gomen," his mother nodded. "I know."

"Mrs. Hyuuga, you call yourself his mother?" Yankumi asked fed up. "Why are you trying to be so accommodating with your child? Whether he hates his home or school, it's a parent's job to make their child obey." Everyone bowed down their heads at her words. "When children are walking down the wrong path, shouldn't you go to any length to get him back on track?"

"You were the one who told me to decide my future," Hyuuga spoke up. "I'm trying to find a job and become independent," he turned to both women. "Don't complain now." Before anyone could say more, he turned and left.

"Hyuuga-kun!" Sayuri called out but was only met with a slamming door. She sighed and turned back to see his mother bowing her head.

"Sumimasen," she said. Both Yankumi and Sayuri assured her it wasn't her fault. She moved dejectedly back to her seat. "Children turn to adults when we're not looking. Not too long ago, he was following me around yelling, 'Okaa-san, Okaa-san.'" The other two frowned at this. Raising a kid sure is hard.

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><p>On arriving home, Yankumi did what she always did when she had student troubles: she consulted her grandfather. Only this time, Sayuri was with her.<p>

"I can't believe he said his mother was annoying," the girl complained in frustration. She poured sake for them while they drank since she wasn't old enough.

"As if he became an adult all by himself," Yankumi continued for her. "Even if he gets a job while he's like that, we'd be worried." Sayuri nodded he head vigorously with a pout.

"Is it really true?" Kuroda asked in a patient voice. Both females looked at him with expressions that told him to go on. "Being eighteen is the borderline between adulthood and childhood. It's a difficult age," the old man turned to Sayuri and smiled. She looked down. "Your student is probably in the middle of finding out what he can and cannot do right now." The Momo high student unconsciously nodded her head in agreement. The Oedo boss grinned. "For now, he leaves his parents, goes into the world, deals with various people, messes up sometimes… Through this he gradually understands things. I think that's how people discover what they really want to do in life." Neither person said anything as they thought over what he said.

'_We still worry, though,'_ Sayuri sighed to herself. She curled her legs towards her body and rested her chin on her knees. "Anno...," she began. "I think I'm serious about becoming a lawyer." Kuroda and Yankumi looked over at her. "I know that Otou-san and Okaa-san don't really like the idea of me getting involved with yakuza matters, but I'd like to be able to take care of the Oedo family's legal affairs... When I'm qualified that is."

"It's your choice. I'd personally be glad to have you," the third generation boss told the girl. She smiled gratefully at him.

"It'd be better for you if you could convince them, though," Yankumi voiced her opinion. "Don't you want their support in this?" She herself wouldn't have made it this far in her career without her grandfather's support.

Sayuri stared down at her feet. "I want a lot of things I can't have," she almost whispered. She got up suddenly. "I guess I'll just have to figure it out somehow." Her face showed determination. She turned and smiled at them, "I should go to bed; I have school in the morning. Oyasumi." With a polite bow, she went off.

* * *

><p>Sayuri spaced out all day the next day. Her mind was preoccupied with everything that's been happening and all her own problems. <em>Ojii-san<em>'s words from last night still rang in her ears. She didn't take part in the conversations with her friends and barely heard about how great Naomi's date had been. There was something about his friends being obnoxious, but her brain didn't let her fully process that. She made her way to the regular spot straight after school and got some time to herself before the guys came.

When they did come, they told her about what had happened in school. Yankumi had yelled at them after hearing about their fight with Hyuuga. She basically told them what she was told. Sayuri agreed with her but didn't think saying that would benefit anyone's mood. They all became pensive thinking about the situation.

"I wonder if Hyuuga-kun's going to stop coming to school," the sole girl asked from next to Ryu. They were now all around the foosball table.

"I understand what Yankumi's saying," Take said quietly. Sayuri looked up at him. He was always more understanding than most guys.

"Can't help it," Hayato exclaimed.

"Eh?" Sayuri said prodding him to explain.

"He's unable to see what's around him right away," he said in a knowing way.

Take smiled, "Right, and he hates to lose." Sayuri nodded her head while grinning at this.

Tsucchi leaned against the wall, "And yet, he forgets things right away." They all laughed at their friend who wasn't there.

"He said he was an apprentice, right?" Ryu suddenly asked. Sayuri answered him with an 'hm'. The others all turned towards his direction. "Isn't it strange that they're paying him so much for that?"

"Maybe night jobs have high pay," Take offered. Sayuri shook her head. She was pretty sure that that wasn't how it worked.

"Doshita no?" Hayato asked the silent boy.

Ryu answered skeptically, "It's too good to be true."

"You guys, no matter what you say, you're still worried about Hyuuga," a new voice stated happily. The guys all nodded their heads but whipped back to stare at Yankumi. Sayuri remained unfazed. She had known that the woman was there.

"Yankumi!" Take shouted.

"Why do you always show up so suddenly?" Tsucchi said slightly irritated.

His teacher ignored his question, "I feel a little at ease after hearing you guys say all that." Sayuri smiled. What did she expect? They were all friends. _Nee-san_ must have to know what that means to these guys.

"Well, we don't want him to quit school," Hayato said backing up Sayuri's thoughts.

"We can't help it," Ryu added trying to sound indifferent. They were friends alright.

The group relocated to the only table in the cafe. Everyone sat down and drinks were ordered. They were about to reminisce of Hyuuga's less than glorious moments (there were quite a few) when Yankumi's phone rang. Hyuuga's mother had somehow followed him to his work place and was intent on bringing him back. Ryu heard the name of the joint, though. It was known to be a shady place involved in illegal gambling. This got the whole group up and out of their seats. They quickly made their way to Michael on Sumire Avenue.

'_Baka,' _Sayuri thought to herself. They had every right to be worried. This is what happened even after they worried. If they hadn't even bothered to care... She wouldn't let herself think like that. They all sped up.

When they got to the club, though, no one was waiting in front, and only one worker was inside. Sayuri didn't waste time. She grabbed the guy and got a location out of him. She ran ahead to the parking garage nearby with the others following right behind her.

"Get away from him!" she yelled once she had come to a stop. Three guys were beating up Hyuuga with that Tatsumi-san watching over. She could also see his mother on the ground not too far off. Yankumi moved to push the young girl back. Sayuri obliged but only by a foot.

"Yankumi...," the boy called out from the ground.

"We have that cute teacher now," Tatsumi walked forward with a cigarette in hand. He barely took barely took notice of the high schoolers behind the woman. All his lackeys laughed hearing that Yankumi was a teacher. It's always a stupid mistake to underestimate your opponent, though.

"Please return my precious student back to me," the pig tailed woman requested calmly.

The bar owner threw his cigarette down and stepped on it. "I'm just teaching this ignorant brat how strict this world is. I can't let him go yet," his tone had an ominous air to it, but it didn't succeed in scaring off the two females facing him.

"I agree that he's still a brat," Yankumi started. "But he's still thinking about his life in his own way." The Kurogin boys seriously listened to their teacher's words. "You guys have no right to trample on his feelings. It's because of people like you that a lot of kids walk the wrong path."

"Shut the hell up!" the three underlings shouted as they charged the woman. She took them out with ease. Although she wouldn't have needed the help, Sayuri cut in when one of the guys picked up an empty wine bottle. She twisted his arm and tossed the bottle into Tatsumi's hands.

"You still want to continue?" Sayuri asked in a bored voice. There was only one outcome to all this, and it wasn't in his favour.

Tatsumi smiled and walked away. The sleaze turned around, though, and went for an underhanded swing at Yankumi, but she was too quick and skilled for him. She dealt him a blow to the gut, and Sayuri opted to break the wine bottle with her bare hands to scare him for further measure. He slowly got up in a state of shock and with his men made a quick exit.

Everyone else immediately ran to Hyuuga's side. The guys helped the boy up, and his mother got out her handkerchief to wipe at his cuts. He shirked away from her, though.

"Don't come to a place like this," he said lowly. His voice got louder, "Don't try to act so lame!"

Sayuri angrily walked over to the boy and slapped him. She had been holding in too much. "What do you mean by lame? You're the lame one here! Who makes their parents do all this?" The girl was getting thoroughly pissed, but her words evoked guilt and emotion from the others. "You were able to grow up because you had parents that worried about you. You don't even understand that. You think you're independent? Don't act like you came this far by yourself!"

Yankumi stepped forward to calm the girl down. Sayuri huffed but quieted. "All parents struggle to raise their children properly," the woman continued the lecture. "Even though it's their own children, they can't recognize them at times. Even so, they do their best to try to raise them. You might make more mistakes in life from now on, but if you do, it's okay to start all over again. You guys have a lot of time." She then turned to the boy's mother. "Mrs. Hyuuga, please take him home," she said softly. "You will, ne? Because you're his mother." The older woman slowly walked over to her son and firmly grasped his arm. He tried to shake her off, but her hold was strong. Eventually, his shirks lost their force.

"Let's go home, Kosuke," she told him soothingly. "Let's go home." Hyuuga nodded his head in consent. His mom bowed and turned to help support him out of the garage.

"Hyuuga," Yankumi called out before they could leave. "See you at school tomorrow," she said cheerily. The boy's lips twitched upward.

Hayato made his signature bunny ears. "Don't be late."

"Make sure you come," Tsucchi added with a reprimanding finger.

Take waved cutely, "We'll be waiting." Both Sayuri and Ryu opted to just smile and wave at their friend.

"Yeah," Hyuuga breathed with a full out smile across his face. He waved back at the group and turned to go home with his mother.

"Parents are great," Sayuri said quietly with an adoring smile. The others were also grinning and didn't oppose her statement either. They all watched on as Hyuuga leaned against his mother and the two slowly disappeared.

* * *

><p>"You were pretty cool back there," Sayuri said in a teasing tone to her <em>nee-san<em>. She nudged her on the side. They were currently walking home now. The math teacher had sent all her other students home not long after Hyuuga had left.

Instead of acting abashed like she would have under someone else's praise, Yankumi got over-confident. "I was, ne?" she asked while stroking her hair. The younger girl just laughed at this.

"This will probably be all over the headlines tomorrow," she predicted. They had actually called in an anonymous tip to the police station reporting the illegal gambling at the teacher nodded her head.

"But they won't know any of us were involved," she said happily. She loved the fact that her students would be getting off for this. There were no benefits in having their name linked to it. People would just unnecessarily blame them for things that weren't their fault. "Tadaima," she called out as they came into the entrance of the Oedo household. Sayuri followed behind her quietly.

"Nee-chan!" Sakura ran up to her older sister and hugged her. She only ever did that when she was bothered by something.

Sayuri's eyebrows came together. "Nani?" she asked in worry.

"Sayuri," a voice said in a manner full of authority.

The high school girl's head whipped up. She knew that voice. That voice wasn't supposed to be in Tokyo right now, though. "Okaa-san?"

* * *

><p>I thought that it was time that I officially brought her into the story. Sorry, for the sort-of-cliff-hanger... Review please!<p> 


	8. Chapter 7: My Boyfriend Is a Gangster

**A/N: **I'm the absolute worst! 6 months, I know :( Sorry for such a _late _update, but things have been rough. I've come to the conclusion that all I need to do is touch a computer and it'll break. I went through a bit of a funk after that, too. I can't really say I'm back yet, so I won't be surprised if there's no one who's stuck with this story... Anyway, this is really short, just another back story chapter. If there are still any readers left, I hope you like this.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: My Boyfriend Is a Gangster<strong>

It was spring, a time for the cherry blossoms to bloom, as well as business. The Oedo Family was doing just that, at least in a sense. Things were relatively peaceful in the yakuza world as of late. Although relations between Kuroda Ryuichiro and his daughter were still strained, he was kept informed about his granddaughter's life. He had also recently acquired a new henchman by the name of Wakamatsu Kouzou. Wakamatsu had pledged his loyalty to the Oedo boss when the man saved him from the streets. He fit into the family well – rough around the edges but truly good deep down. The two were currently out now because the house was short on supplies and such.

"Oi, Wakamatsu!" the third generation Oedo boss called out. "Watch where you - " It was already too late. The young male had bumped into and knocked down an equally young girl. He placed the bags of groceries that were impairing his vision on the ground and quickly moved to help the girl. Kuroda just stood on the side, shaking his head with a smile.

"Sumimasen," Wakamatsu bowed deeply. His face was a bright red from embarrassment. On raising his head, however, the blush grew deeper. The girl was beautiful. She had auburn colored hair and clear brown eyes. Her skin was porcelain white, but she didn't exactly look fragile. She was small, too. The way she stood, though, told you the she had a mind of her own and that she'd speak it.

She surveyed herself for damages. Finding none, she looked up, "Daijobu." The smile that broke across her face sent flutters to Wakamatsu's heart. "Are _you_okay?"

"I-iie... d-daijobu...," the man awkwardly stuttered. This got giggles from his company. He blushed a little more, but there was a smile forming on his lips. He liked the sound of her laughter.

Kuroda chose to just watch the scene from a distance. He was hesitant to break the two up. It was someone else who saved him from that task.

"Hanako!" a loud voice boomed. They all turned to see a tall, old man standing few feet away. He was about the same age as the yakuza boss and gave off the same feel of authority. The two older men instantly recognized each other and nodded in acknowledgement of the other.

"Otou-san," Hanako answered to the call. Wakamatsu immediately straightened up and fidgeted about trying to neaten up his appearance. He finally stopped and bowed respectfully. Hanako smiled in amusement.

"We're leaving now," he said without taking notice of the young man. His daughter frowned slightly at his attitude.

Turning to face Wakamatsu anyway, she smiled, "Ja, maybe I'll see you around." She waved at him, laughed when he blushed, and turned around to leave. The love-stricken boy could only stand there and watch her go.

The Oedo head walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That man...," Wakamatsu looked up at his boss expectantly, grasping at any chance to get to know this girl. "... is Tamamori Ichiro, the police chief." The boy's face fell instantly. _The okami chief's daughter?_He sure knew how to pick them. They both turned to see Hanako get into a waiting car. Her father stood at the door. He gave a nod to Kuroda and got in after his daughter. The car pulled away leaving Wakamatsu standing there, reeling. This girl had moved his heart and broken it all in under no time at all... and she didn't even know it.

A week after the whole tumultuous incident with Tamamori Hanako, Wakamatsu still couldn't stop thinking about her. He knew it was a problem, but he found himself walking down the same street they had met everyday... and she was always there.

Hanako had been surprised at first when he showed up, but her shock didn't last long. She was happy to see him. She didn't know why, but every time she saw the brawny guy acting so shy and nervous, she couldn't help but smile. A couple of days passed by like that, and her smile began to falter. Wakamatsu absolutely refused to approach her. It wasn't fear that was holding him back. Hanako could tell that much, but she couldn't figure out what else it could have been.

"Ne, Hana-chan," one of her friends who always seemed to be with her started one day. "Do you know that guy over there? He's been watching you for awhile now." Hanako didn't have to look up to know who she was talking about. She was surprised that her friends only noticed the guy now actually. The question didn't really bother her either. It was something else she realized.

"Why don't you guys go first without out me," she said not looking back at her friends. "I have something to take care of." She walked towards the now cowering Wakamatsu who had caught her gaze and knew almost immediately her intent. He was debating whether or not he should run away. The man whipped around trying to find somewhere to hide or run off to. If Hanako wasn't so serious at the moment, she would have laughed at the comical scene. Wakamatsu came to a standstill by the time she reached him.

"... Hi...," he bowed his head slightly and awkwardly. Hanako's lips twitched, threatening to form a smile. She lifted her hand. Wakamatsu cringed, thinking she was going to hit him. This caused a laugh to sneak out from the girl. When the man opened his eyes, she was pointing at herself.

"You know my name, ne?" she asked. A tad confused, Wakamatsu only nodded. "But I don't even know _yours_." Hanako flashed a beautiful smile. Her thoughts had been preoccupied with this man for a whole week, and yet she didn't even know his name. She held out her hand. "Hajimemashite, Tamamori Hanako."

For a moment, Wakamatsu just stared at her. Then he stretched out his hand also. "Wakamatsu Kouzou, yoroshikune," he smiled back. This allowed Hanako to see how good-looking the young man really was. He wasn't as brutish as he had initially thought. The girl blushed. The moment he saw this, Wakamatsu knew he was forever a goner. "There's something you should probably know about me..." He didn't want to get his hopes up too soon if she was going to run away after.

"The Oedo Family?" Hanako asked. Wakamatsu shot her a shocked look. "It seemed like my dad knew the man you were with last time, so I asked him about it." The pretty girl bit her lip hoping she hadn't gone out of line or anything. She was just curious about this guy. Besides, all her dad had told her was just that: the man was head of the Oedo Family.

"And you don't care if I'm with the yakuza?" Wakamatsu asked cautiously. It seemed unbelievably to him, especially coming from Chief Tamamori's daughter.

"I don't see how it makes a difference," she said genuinely. "You're not a bad guy," she added. And Wakamatsu knew that he would never be a bad guy so long as he lived all because of this girl's words.

"So are we... _friends_?" he tried to choose the right word. Hanako raised an eyebrow at him but smiled.

"Sort of," she laughed a little.

And they were '_friends_' for next two years going through awkward events like first dates, first kisses, and meeting friends and family. Then one day, Wakamatsu had a question to ask the girl. He was so nervous that he couldn't form his words correctly, though.

"Sure," she said. Wakamatsu looked up at her surprised she knew what he wanted to say. Hanako pointed to the little box he held with a death grip in his hand. The man internally berated himself while the girl across from him giggled. She took the box out of his hand and slowly slipped the beautiful ring over her slim finger. She smiled brilliantly.

"You know, you can't take that off now," Wakamatsu warned jokingly.

Hanako had looked up seriously, "You can't ever make me."

Although Chief Tamamori had initially opposed the two's relationship, he had decided to give his approval when his health began to deteriorate. His daughter was so genuinely happy that he knew he couldn't change her mind. (Hanako _did_have an uncle who was also a police chief and refused to accept Wakamatsu, though. He was her mother's younger brother and had been the cause for her parents meeting.) Her father passed away a short time after Sakura was born, but he was there nine months after the wedding when Sayuri came into this world.

Everyone had crowded around in the hospital waiting room: Wakamatsu, Tamamori, and Kuroda. There were also new members of the Oedo family who joined them: Sugawara, Tetsu, Minoru - all people that the boss had kindly helped and saved like he had Wakamatsu. Little Ojou was even there. This wasn't long after her parents' accident, but she had adjusted to the family well, just like Hanako.

Wakamatsu had paced around the room nervously while the others laughed at him. Even Tamamori. He had gotten a chance to get to know the Oedo family and let go some of his prejudice against them. With these people, it was sometimes easy to forget they were yakuza. The doctor came out congratulating Wakamatsu on having a healthy daughter. He told them they could go in and visit both Hanako and the baby.

"She's beautiful," Tamamori said holding her up. Kuroda gave a hearty laugh in agreement. Wakamatsu sat by the bed, holding Hanako's hand.

"She looks like you," he whispered. "That's good. I was worried she'd look like me." Hanako let out a breathless laugh.

"She's gentle like you, though. Didn't make it difficult for me in there," she said with a smile.

As Wakamatsu stared into the face of his daughter, he promised to protect her and this family. And he did, as best he could for as long as he could. Some promises, though, are harder to keep than others.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**I hope this didn't seem too boring or unnecessary. It's not the best, but I just wanted to have this in here... This next part is a little treat. It's just a drabble from back at Haiirokin. I just tagged it on to the end of this since it was easier for me. So, enjoy.

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><p><strong>Extra Chapter: Valentine's Day Battle<strong>

It was a cold February day with snow covering the streets, painting all of Tokyo white. Many people scurried about outside to get their errands finished so that they could return home. The cars struggled in the weather, though, and resulted in putting people in bad moods. At Haiirokin Elementary School, things were different. The students sat in their warm class happily and blissfully unaware of the world outside.

"Minna, tomorrow is our Valentine's Day party," Fujioka-sensei said in her usual, cheery voice. "Try to bring in something for the class, ne?" As she stepped out of the room, everyone turned in their seats and started conversing freely about the upcoming event.

"Are you going to make chocolates this year, Yuri-chan?" Take turned to ask his friend, the sole girl of their group. All the boys in the class perked up almost instantly. Taro sat back in his seat and scoffed.

"She'll just make some excuse like she did last year." Sayuri unconsciously glared at the boy. Seeing as he had successfully provoked the girl, Taro continued. "It's okay, Sa-chan. We couldn't possibly expect you to know how to make chocolates like a normal girl... _that'd_be expecting too much." The bigger boy chuckled at his own joke. He wasn't alone, though. Hayato and Ryu followed with their own chuckles. Take, along with the rest of the class, tried to suppress his laughter.

"Oi!" Sayuri yelled, red-faced. She had not made any chocolates the previous year for personal reasons. Wakamatsu had gained such a sad, puppy-dog look when she had told him that she was making chocolate for some boys in her class. She wouldn't have stopped just for that, but he had quickly gained a look full of murderous intent right after. And these were second graders. Sayuri had tried to explain to Take and Taro that their lives would be in danger if she had made the sweets, but it sounded ridiculous even to her ears. Besides, it wasn't like she could throw it out there that her dad was part of the yakuza – that was frowned upon in society. At least, that's what her mother and Nee-san told her. She didn't get it really. Needless to say, though, Taro has yet to let her live this down. "I'm making them this year," the little girl huffed defiantly as she crossed her arms across her chest. '_If he wants to die, then fine_,' she thought to herself. She only slightly felt bad for the others. But hey, they laughed, too. You could call her small minded.

"Ne, Wakamatsu-chan," a boy in class boldly called out. Apparently, everyone had completely dropped their own conversations to listen to the one in the back. The five friends turned their attention to him. "Does that mean you're making chocolates for _all_of us?" There was a glimmer of hope and anticipation in his voice. Everyone had grown to learn that they didn't need to fear Sayuri - they just had to mind to not get on her bad side. A smile crept onto the girl's face as she saw the boy's nervousness. It was cute. She nodded her head and flashed a grin that had the boy blushing lightly.

"Iie, she's not." Sayuri whipped her head to her right. The answer had come from Hayato, who was calmly leaning back against his seat and not even bothering to look up at who he was addressing. She raised an eyebrow at this. Ryu, Take, and Taro looked over curiously at their friend. "That's not how it works," he told everyone. The collective eye-roll from his friends was practically audible. They didn't even know what they were expecting from him.

"Baka," Ryu muttered. "Don't say something so stupid." The class sat in confusion but patiently waited for their 'Yabuki-kun' to explain further.

"Sa-chan's chocolate is special," the boy murmured. Sayuri looked at him wide-eyed.

"You mean like poisonous?" Taro asked seriously. "_Itai!_" he exclaimed. The little girl had extended her arm and punched him on the shoulder in lightening speed without even turning to face him. Ryu and Take chuckled at them.

"I'm saying that not everyone can get them," Hayato said in a slightly exasperated tone.

Take scratched his head. "So… only us?" he asked. The boy didn't really see what Hayato was trying to get at.

"Only one person should get them," the handsome boy said. With a deep breath, he looked up at the girl, "And it should be the one she likes the most."

Sayuri sat there trying to comprehend what Hayato had just said. She titled her head as she tried to grasp everything. The girls in the class were making googly eyes at the boy and _'aw-ing'_. The guys in the class looked serious but were all nodding their heads along with Hayato. Taro and Take were doing the same also. Ryu didn't look like he was paying attention anymore. "But I like you guys all equally," the girl said. The sound of innocence in her tone was pure this time, not like when she usually faked it.

Hayato looked dumbfounded for a moment, "W-well... you'll just have to pick one." His voice came off a bit harsh.

"I don't want to," Sayuri whined and pouted her lips. She didn't like having chose between her friends, labeling one as better than the rest. That was wrong. How do you even say that you like a one friend more than another? That wouldn't be a friend. That'd be... someone who is _not_a friend.

"Then, we'll decide this ourselves," Hayato declared. Sayuri scoffed from her seat. They were going to _tell_her who she liked most without even consulting her?

"Sa-chan's known me and Take longer, so it's probably one of us," Taro said casually. Take nodded his head with a smile.

"Not necessarily," the handsome boy argued. "I've known my little brother longer, but that doesn't mean I like him any better." The whole class seemed to accept this valid explanation.

"So how do we decide?" Take asked from his seat, genuinely confused.

"Yuri-chan likes strong guys," Hayato said with his arms crossed and chest puffed out.

Sayuri raised an eyebrow at this, "_I do?_" She was generally ignored, except by Ryu who let out a small laugh at her reaction.

"So I guess that'd be me," Taro said sitting back in his chair, chuckling all the while.

The instigator of all this stood up from his desk. He slapped his hand down like he just figured out the solution to end world hunger. "We need to have a battle to see who's the strongest," he nodded his head approvingly at his own proposal. "And winner gets the chocolate." Everyone thought this over.

The small girl sat in her seat, shaking her head. None of this made sense to her, but if this meant that she could watch a good fight then whatever. It'd be easier to make chocolates for one person instead of the entire class anyway. "Fine," she sighed out. That was like the final stamp of approval. All hell broke loose in the class as people cheered for Hayato and his '_brilliant plan_'.

"Yosh," the boy pumped his fist in the air. "Then tomorrow. Before class. Out in the back of the school. It's open for anyone who wants to give it a shot." More cheers followed with the girls in the class squealing '_kakkoii_' at Hayato. Taro and Take tried to lift the boy up, but their strength was too unevenly distributed. Others had to jump in and help. Sayuri looked all around the class.

'_What a bunch of idiots_,' she thought, but a smile came to her lips. They were her friends after all.

At lunchtime, 2C's '_it_' group made their way to a table in the middle of the cafeteria. The lunchroom was usually too noisy to make out anything not within a five yard radius of yourself, but when they all sat down, the noise level noticeably dropped down to a light hum. Hayato, Take, and Taro all dug into their lunches, oblivious to their surroundings. Sayuri and Ryu, on the other hand, stared around the cafe to look for the source of this... _strange_behavior coming from their schoolmates. Nothing stood out except when Sayuri turned around to find some boys stealing glances towards their table. She was able to make out their whisperings too, thanks to the unusual quiet.

"_You_ask!" one boy hissed to his friend.

"You're the one that wants the chocolates so bad," another said from the other side of the boy.

The one in the middle spoke next. "We should all go together."

The dark-haired girl quickly turned her attention away from the table uninterestedly. '_That explains nothing...,_' she thought as she began eating. Ryu quietly started in on his lunch also, just as Hayato swallowed down his food loudly and looked up from his tray.

"Tomorrow, there won't be any friends!" he declared full of determination. "I won't go easy on any of you!" This time he brought his fist down on the table for emphasis.

Taro snorted lightly. "We'll see."

Sayuri just rolled her eyes at her friends. Really, she couldn't understand boys sometimes, but her mom had said that she wasn't supposed to since she wasn't one herself, so she didn't feel that bad. She turned towards the smallest boy of the group. "Ne, Take-chan. You don't have to fight anyone tomorrow. I'll bring you your own chocolates." The girl grinned a toothy grin for all to see.

"Oi!" Hayato instantly protested. "That's not fair." Sayuri wrinkled her nose at the boy in response.

Take looked down at the table. "I want to _earn_it on my own," he said quietly. "You have to fight for what you want, ne?" he smiled. Sayuri had always repeated to him the lessons she herself learned from her Nee-san. Take took them all to heart (and quite literally,too).

The small girl frowned slightly, "You don't have to physically fight for everything." She didn't like the idea of Take getting hurt for something as stupid as this. The others could take care of themselves, but the scrawnier boy always made her worry.

"Why are you guys even fighting over this?" Ryu questioned monotonously from his seat. "Nothing against Yuri-chan, but they're _just_chocolates." Sayuri nodded her head, unoffended by his comment and actually understanding where he was coming from. She knew that Ryu was right and agreed with him.

"Are you not going to fight tomorrow then, Ryu?" Take asked in confusion.

"All the guys in our grade are competing," Taro piped in. "Even some of our _sempai_might participate." News had traveled pretty quickly since this morning. Hayato smirked from his seat across the table, and a laugh escaped his lips.

"The key word here is _guys_. Ryu has always been a little more... _feminine_... I mean, look at him." The group did just that, all turning their attention to the usually pale boy who was red with rage at the moment. Hayato knew very well that Ryu hated being compared to a girl. Sayuri bit back a smile. She _had_to admit that Ryu was very pretty.

"That has nothing to do with this," the boy struggled to keep his voice calm. Hayato smiled wider. Ryu seemed to catch himself. He just basically admitted to looking like a girl. The quiet boy was infuriated. He was about to fire something back when someone interrupted him.

"A-anno," the boy from the back table stuttered. He had apparently gathered up enough courage to come over here. The other two boys were standing behind him some feet away.

"Nani?" Ryu asked angrily, losing his cool. He softened up a bit when the boy staggered back, startled by his intensity.

"..." The two boys in the back had to give their friend a little push to get him talking again. "E-eto," he tried to begin. The boy closed his eyes and let his question out all in one breath. "_We-wanted-to-know-if-you'd-be-making-chocolates-too!_" He cringed waiting for the table to react.

They all sat there quietly confused. Sayuri was making chocolate. Everyone knew that. So what was this _'wanting-to-know-too'_about? Besides, Valentine's Day was a day for girls to give away things. Everyone else at the table was a boy. The group looked up and finally noticed something. The three boys weren't talking to Sayuri because their bodies were angled slightly. They were facing Ryu! Hayato and Taro immediately busted out laughing on realizing this. Sayuri and Take tried to repress their giggles and shot sorry glances towards the other boy.

Ryu sat with an unnatural stillness in his seat. His left eye was twitching. He slowly closed his eyes, searching himself for a suitable answer. Should he go angry, sarcastic, sad, confused, or what? The laughter coming from his friends made it too hard to think. Ryu took in a deep breath. "No," was all he managed to say. When he opened his eyes and saw that the three boys were still there, he gave them a look that sent them cowering away in fear.

Hayato put a hand to his mouth to calm down his laughter. "I think that proves my point."

"We'll see tomorrow, won't we?" Ryu said sadistically with a smirk. Sayuri was starting to rub off on all of them.

"Eh?" Take exclaimed. "You'll fight then?" He sounded excited. The little girl realized then that they had never seen Ryu in action. In fact, besides Hayato, Kirishima, and Tanaka, no one else in the school has. The quiet boy just nodded his head.

Hayato gave his friend a curious look. "I guess we'll be able to finish where we left off then," he had a smile on his face. Ryu matched it.

That smile wouldn't have been so cocky if he had known how things would turn… year after year. It was amazing how much enthusiasm the class put forth even when they knew the outcome of the match. It always ended up as a fight between Hayato and Taro to see who would eventually get beat by Ryu. The silent boy let out all his frustrations in these fights, so no one really stood a chance. Sayuri was amazed as she watched on. She couldn't help but want to join in herself, just to see if she could take him – which she probably could have. The little girl never did, though. She waited patiently every year to hand Ryu his chocolates which she and everyone else came to expect to be his.

* * *

><p>I'm not sure if I liked how these turned out, so not only am I sorry for my absence, but I'm sorry for the sucky chapter .<p> 


	9. Chapter 8: It's Not Okay

**A/N: **... and because I've been away for so long (6 months!), I thought I should update one more. Again, I'm really sorry!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: It's Not Okay...<strong>

"Okaa-san? What are you doing here?" Sayuri questioned her mother. The last time they had talked over the phone, she was still in Osaka. That hadn't been too long ago.

"I- ," her mother began to explain herself but was cut off.

"She's here to take us back with her!" Sakura answered as she clutched Sayuri's arm. She made no attempt to hide how much this upset her and glared back at their mother. Even after so many years, though, the woman was still beautiful.

Sayuri sighed. "You don't have to do that. Everything's fine here, _hontoni_," her tone was soft as she addressed her.

The older woman rung her hands nervously and looked away. Sayuri followed her line of vision. Wakamatsu (and the rest of the Oedo members for that matter) was kneeling with his hands resting on his lap and his head bowed. He refused to look up for anything. "I don't think it's a good idea for you guys to be here after all," the girls' mother said while still looking wistfully over at Wakamatsu. Her voice shook a little as she talked, "I really thought about. I-I-I just..." Sayuri frowned taking in this scene.

Sakura let go of her sister's arm. "Can you stop being so selfish and think about what _we_actually want for once?" Her emotions were brimming over as she shouted this. The others always took it for granted when Sakura was able to control her feelings. In the end, she was still only a kid. Now, her patience was wearing thin.

"Sakura!" both Wakamatsu and Sayuri said this in a warning tone. The younger girl quieted down but refused to offer up an apology. Their mother just stood in her place and hung her head sadly. The look on her face broke Sayuri's heart. It was the same look she held the day the girls left Tokyo. Sayuri had stupidly lashed out at her then, but she knew better now. Sakura was a different story.

"Ne," Yankumi interjected from the side. "Why don't we sit down and talk this over?" She motioned for all to head over to the _kotatsu_. With a tentative smile, she added, "It's nice seeing you again, Hanako-san."

At this comment, Hanako smiled back at her, "Kumiko-chan." Both women had entered the Oedo family at around the same time. When Yankumi needed it, Hanako had stood up as a mother figure. They were fairly close.

Sayuri smiled the same smile as her mother seeing this exchange. They were the two women she respected most, so it was nice to witness them getting along. She turned her attention to other matters, though. "Tetsu-kun, could you and Sakura go and prepare dinner for everyone?" Tetsu looked up at the girl then nodded. He understood the real meaning behind Sayuri's request: keep Sakura away from the discussion.

Clearly sensing this, the younger girl protested, "What are you talking about? This has to do with me, too. I'm staying." She gave her _onee-chan_a look, challenging her to command otherwise.

The high schooler let out a deep breath. "I'm not _telling_ you to do anything. I'm just asking..." Sayuri knew that using the dictating approach would never work on Sakura. She would only feel more compelled to defy whatever it was you wanted. Sayuri didn't have to think this out, though. The tired expression on her face was enough. It was the same one as their mother's. Sakura gained the look herself. (The three of them really did look so much alike.) She sighed in defeat and stalked off to the kitchen with Tetsu following behind her. Minoru and Sugawara also excused themselves to _'help'_the others.

The main room was left with only five people: Sayuri, Yankumi, Wakamatsu, Hanako, and Kuroda, who had kept silent throughout this whole incident. Hanako took her seat at the table, sitting opposite Wakamatsu. Instead of choosing between the two spouses, Sayuri and Yankumi opted to sit on either side of the Oedo boss, who sat at the head of the table. Silence followed the sound of everyone settling into their seats. Kuroda cleared his throat conspicuously but made no attempt to strike up conversation. He knew it wasn't his place to do that. Sayuri fidgeted next to the man and stared around. He gave her a nudge of encouragement.

"Despite what you may think," the young girl began uncertainly. "Sakura and I are perfectly fine and safe here, Okaa-san. There's nothing for you to worry about." She tried to say every word as clearly and steadily as she could to assure her mother of its truthfulness.

Wakamatsu lifted his head to look at his estranged wife. There was a look of determination in his eyes. "You know I won't let anything happen to them." His voice was softer than how it normally was, but it still held the same fierceness.

Hanako sat there with her brows furrowed, shaking her head. "That's how it was before, too," she said quietly. "But sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to... You _know_that." Her tone was pleading as she talked.

It was as if the resolve Wakamatsu had built up went crumbling down with the woman's pained words. "Nothing I say can change this, ne?" His head went back down. "It didn't back then either." Sayuri wanted to scream at her dad and tell him to stop acting so weak. Nothing he could say? He hadn't even said much! Not then or now. The girl began to feel an anger she once felt towards her father rise inside her again. Anger for letting all of them leave, for not trying to keep the family together. Then, she remembered what had caused all this.

'_Maybe he's right; maybe nothing he says will change anything._' Still, the hope that her family could be whole again was far too large to trample down. "Let's talk this through before we reach any conclusions..."

"There's nothing left to talk through anymore, Yuri," the older woman said quietly.

"Kaa-san," Sayuri practically whispered. She suddenly felt like a nine year-old kid again, having to have her parents explain their separation to her but not wanting to accept a single word of it.

"I just can't handle it anymore, okay? It's not that simple!" Hanako broke down completely. "You don't understand... what I go through... how much I worry... what if...?" The woman started to sob and hyperventilate as she struggled to contain herself and her emotions. Wakamatsu slightly moved forward but froze, unable to go further. Yankumi had to go and comfort the crying woman while Kuroda sat in his seat and looked away, sighing at the sad scene before him. Sayuri could only stare, still hung up on her mother's words. _You don't understand._When had she ever given anyone a chance to understand? She never made an effort to reach out to any of them, keeping all her feelings and thoughts to herself. As far as she was concerned, Sayuri didn't even have a clue about what happened 9 years ago. She didn't know that her eldest daughter was made fully aware of the situation... That wasn't the problem at hand right now, though.

Forcing her tone to sound softer, "It's late. You should probably stay the night here." Sayuri tiredly got up, not able to discuss this anymore. A look of panic passed through Hanako's eyes. "We'll continue this in the morning." She got up without saying anything else to anyone and walked away. Passing the kitchen, it became obvious that Sakura and the others had heard all that had passed. What sort of protection did she expect from the paper-thin walls anyway? Sayuri turned away without acknowledging any of them. This was not a good night for her at all. She just wanted to lie down in bed and forget everything. A hand grabbed her on her way to her room, though. '_So much for that._'

Sakura stood there staring worriedly at her sister. "Onee-chan." The crease on her forehead made her look way older than she was. Sayuri made an effort to smile for the younger girl and flicked her head.

"Nani?"

The crease on the girl's forehead disappeared, but she still looked distraught. "Isn't it _my_job to argue with them and stalk off? You're supposed to be the goody-goody." Both girls smiled humorlessly at this.

"Well, sometimes it's hard for even me to be good," Sayuri said. Sakura would have probably replied had Kuroda not come forward at that moment.

"It's a hard feat for anyone," he declared in his all-knowing voice. Both sisters looked up at the man.

"Ojii-san," they said together. Kuroda smiled. He placed a hand on Sakura's back and gave her a look. She understood right away and scurried off to her bedroom. That left Sayuri standing there, staring at the ground. He stood there quietly without saying a word, waiting for Sayuri to talk. The Momo student bit down on her lip as it began to quiver. She hugged the man when the tears started to roll down her cheek.

"I don't know what to do, Ojii-san," she said as she cried for the first time in a long while. "Just... tell me what I should do... _please_." Sayuri knew that the entire household would be able to hear her at this moment, but she didn't care. She was too emotionally drained to filter her actions for their benefit. She didn't want to be the adult right now - she had the rest of her life for that. She wanted to be taken care of. Sayuri didn't care if she looked pathetic either. Always scorning others for being weak didn't mean that she was emotionally void herself. There was only so much she could take before she finally cracked.

The Oedo head held the wounded girl for a few minutes as she continued crying. "I would tell you everything's going to be fine," he stroked her hair as he talked. "But it won't make a difference unless you truly believe that yourself. And to be completely convinced, you need to figure out the answer to this problem on your own. It's okay if you don't get it right at first, though. You can try again." The old man said all this softly to the girl. "You'd be able to move on if I told you what to do now, but you would never be able to grow up." He had begun to rock her back and forth as the tears dwindled down.

"And... growing up... is... a part of life?" Sayuri half-stated and half-asked between sniffles. She managed a small smile as she looked up at the wise old man.

He smiled fondly back at her then faked a semi-serious face. "I think you're starting to get it." They both gave a small laugh. Sayuri started to get up and wipe her tears away. Kuroda stood up also. He rustled her hair adoringly. "If it does help at all, I think you'll be just fine no matter what you do." The small girl took in a deep breath and gave her head one quick nod before returning to the others.

Tetsu, Minoru, and Sugawara were standing by the side to avoid intruding. Her parents still sat at the _kotatsu_looking away from each other and away from her as she entered. They obviously couldn't face her after hearing the distress they had caused her. Yankumi sat back in her old seat, awkwardly trying to make sense of what was going on. She looked up at Sayuri with pitying eyes. The girl couldn't hold her gaze for too long. Instead, she walked over and kneeled down by her mother. Taking the older woman's hands in her own, she looked her straight in the eyes.

"Would it be fine if it was just me?" she asked. This earned a confused look from everyone. Sayuri continued anyway, not minding them. "Sakura just settled into a new school. It wouldn't be good for her to keep moving around," her voice grew more and more gentle as she continued. "Would it be fine if only I came back with you?"

* * *

><p>Ryu woke up with a start in the morning. It was like one of those chills Hayato and him sometimes got. He had thought that they mostly meant that trouble was in some way brewing (or that Yankumi was mad with them), but they hadn't even done anything bad, yet. How could they? They just got Hyuuga to come back to school last night. Ryu's thoughts instinctively flashed to Sayuri. That girl was a handful all on her own... but Ryu couldn't help thinking this with a smile. She could take care of herself anyhow. She also had that scary-looking yakuza father of hers. The silent Kurogin leader slowly got up to get ready for school. At this rate, he would be late and have Yankumi on his case for it. He got ready as quickly as he could and headed down. His mother laid out the breakfast on the table with a smile on her face. His father wasn't home. He always left early for the police station.<p>

"Ryu-"

"I'm going to school," he said curtly as he passed the woman without so much as a glance. When the gate to whole property closed, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The atmosphere at home was just always too much for the young boy to handle. He tried not to dwell too much on that and instead thought about happier thoughts, like his friends who he didn't see during his walk to school. It wasn't until Ryu was at the front gate of Kurogin that he heard the guys behind him.

"Oi, Ryu-chan," Tsucchi called out with the sound of a closing fan.

"Ryu," the light-haired boy knew the voice belonged to Take without needing to look back. When he _did_turn around, he saw that the other two were present also. Hayato remained silent but nodded to Ryu. Hyuuga, beaten and bruised, held a sheepish smile as he walked up to the boy.

"Yo," was all he said. A smile threatened to break out on Ryu's face, but he just nodded his head and placed a hand on Hyuuga's shoulder. It was gesture of comforting the boy and welcoming him back. The others all laughed and ran up to Ryu and Hyuuga, being their rowdy selves.

When the group made it into 3D, there was confetti thrown around and yells for Hyuuga. It was his welcoming party; so naturally, he was thrown right into the crowd. Take and Tsucchi followed the excitement while Hayato and Ryu chose to stray over to the side. The five of them were late, but they noted that so was Yankumi. By the time that the math teacher did arrive, 3D had more or less quieted down already. Hyuuga smiled and was about to walk up and apologize for troubling Yankumi when Hayato's hand held him back. He just gestured at the teacher with his head, but it was enough. There was no '_ohayo minna_' today. No smiles. No cheery Yankumi. Ryu suddenly remembered the chill he got this morning. The whole class sat worriedly staring at their homeroom teacher.

"Ne, Yankumi. Doshita no?" Take broke the silence. The pig-tailed woman whipped her head up in surprise, as if she didn't know that she was in school.

"E-eh?" Yankumi blinked rapidly and looked around, then, like she finally remembered the class, she smiled that same Yankumi smile. "Iie, daijobu. Vice Principal Sawatari was just going off about something again today," she explained. Most of the class bought the story (it wasn't unusual anyway), and Hayato and Ryu would have too had it not been for the nervous laugh afterward. Yankumi really was such a bad actor. After taking attendance, she let the class '_study_' on their own and drifted in her thoughts.

"The family business bothering you?" The question came from her right where Hayato was perched on a desk. Ryu stood to her left leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets as usual. Yankumi looked up in shook at the sound of a voice then she registered the question and panicked, checking to see if anyone else heard.

"Shhhh," she reprimanded the dark-haired leader.

"What's really bothering you?" Ryu asked straightforwardly. The older woman stopped her panicking and gained a somber look.

"Something... _unexpected_... happened at home," she chose her words carefully. "That's all." This was far from a satisfying answer for either of the boys.

"We can't help you if you don't tell us, you know," Hayato mumbled out. Yankumi turned to him a bit confused.

"We sort of owe you for helping us all the time," Ryu explained as if it wasn't anything special. The yakuza heiress smiled proudly at her two students.

"You guys..." Yankumi wanted to tell them everything. She knew that Sayuri wasn't just family to her - she was a friend to all of them. Still, the woman knew it wasn't her place to go around and tell people about the girl's family situation. It was a private matter. She hardly understood it herself... but these two were genuinely worried right now, and Hanako did say that she and Sayuri would be staying close by for awhile before they headed back to Osaka. The stay was also indefinite. Someone had to get Sayuri to come back to school. The small girl couldn't really blame her for telling these guys, could she? "Well..."

* * *

><p>This was bound to be a tough day, Sayuri could already feel that. She had just finished her trip to Momo's to explain her situation to the principal. She wasn't sure if she'd be coming back, but transferring schools at this point would be too troublesome, so they had to work out a plan for Sayuri to still get her diploma. Thankfully, there wasn't really anything for her to miss by not coming to school, but getting to that conclusion required a long and tedious talk. Sayuri had initially wanted to say bye to everyone: Maki, Aiko, Naomi, Kujo-sensei, the guys... but she was too worn out. Besides, her mother wanted to leave right away, so the girl didn't have much time. It had already taken so much convincing for her to allow Sakura to stay. Sayuri didn't want to risk having the woman change her mind. Just then her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled the thing out and flipped it open to see the caller.<p>

_~ Onigiri Ryu ~__  
><em>  
>Sayuri didn't answer, but she smiled at the name. It was from back at Haiirokin. Taro had been so hungry one day that he just couldn't get Ryu's name right. <em>Taro<em>... She was leaving again before she could clean up that mess. The black-haired girl sighed as she put the phone back in her pocket. All these thoughts were wearing her out. She didn't have the liberty to be worrying about any of it right now. She had her parents to worry about.

_[Flashback]_

_As Sayuri had made her way towards Sakura's room for the night (her mother was staying in her room), she passed Wakamatsu's door. The screen was open, so she could see inside. Her father was kneeling on the ground holding something in his hands. His shoulders were hunched over, and he held the saddest expression she had ever seen on him. Sayuri quietly stepped into his room and peeked at what he was holding._

_It was a small wooden picture frame, one she recognized as her own creation. Inside the frame was the sole family picture they had ever taken together. A Sayuri of about four years-old sat on Wakamatsu's lap while Hanako held a newborn Sakura in her arms. The whole family was dressed nicely for once and smiling. Sayuri remembered how hard she had made taking the picture by running around and refusing to stay still, how her mother fidgeted about with trying to make her father look presentable, and how happy they all were -even little Sakura. The girl tore her eyes away from the picture and found her father looking at her._

_He smiled sadly, "How did things change so much?" The dark haired girl instantly dropped down to her father's side._

_"Daijobu... things will work out," she had said soothingly as she patted his back. She smiled encouragingly, but her heart broke inside of her. Like she had earlier, she felt the need to be taken care of again. Sayuri wanted so badly to lay her head down on Wakamatsu's lap, have her hair stroked, and reassuring words whispered in her ear... but her family needed at least one person to be strong. And she wasn't a little girl anymore... She was not weak anymore... Things weren't the same... _That_ would never happen again..._

_She broke from her train of thought when Wakamatsu suddenly got up. "Hanako," he called out to the woman at the door._

_"Okaa-san," Sayuri followed suit._

_The beautiful woman could only manage a small, sad smile and turned to leave. Wakamatsu's face fell even further. Sayuri didn't think that that was possible. He turned around also, "It's late. Go to bed." His voice sounded frail. He didn't sound like her father at all. "You're leaving early tomorrow," he added, voice cracking. With nothing to say to that, Sayuri had sighed dejectedly and walked out, closing the door behind her._

_[End flashback]__  
><em>  
>By the time she finished recapping these events from the previous night, Sayuri had made it to the bus station where her mother waited. Both Sakura and Yankumi had school, and Kuroda and Wakamatsu were busy with yakuza matters, so she had told the rest of them not to come. Now she was wondering if that was a mistake. The thought of possibly not coming back brought her to the verge of tears. She didn't know what to do, just that she couldn't let her mother see her like that. No matter how angry or frustrated she was with her mother, Sayuri knew it wasn't her fault. So many things had happened to this poor woman that she couldn't even imagine. The girl wanted to scream at herself every time she remembered the way she treated Hanako as a kid. '<em>But I didn't know then…<em>,' she told herself.

"Yuri," the unstable woman went over to the young girl. Her voice was shaky, but she was smiling happily. Sayuri smiled back as best she could. The two of them didn't have any bags at all. Hanako hadn't brought a single thing with her to begin with, and she told Sayuri that they could just buy clothes along the way. "Are you ready?" she asked excitedly but also with a hint of fear that her daughter might say no.

"Hai," Sayuri assured her. The older woman pulled her along to board the bus while the girl stared back with lingering feelings in Tokyo. '_Sayonara._'

* * *

><p>Mother and daughter had made it to their destination without any problem whatsoever. Hanako had a friend she knew here. The woman was out of town but readily obliged to letting the two stay at her house. It was a small one, but there was a quaint and cozy feeling about it. It looked like the woman had children because the bedrooms upstairs were lived in. '<em>A<em> _boy and a girl,_' Sayuri thought. She chose the girl's room. It was decorated in pink with flowers everywhere. They looked like spring flowers. Kid drawings hung on the wall, but overall, it was a neat room. Her mother took the master bedroom downstairs. It didn't really take long for both Sayuri and Hanako to settle in.

"I don't know if I can come back any time soon," Sayuri said into her phone that night. Yankumi had called to ask because apparently all of 3D had become curious as to where their friend was. "I want to come back, but I don't think I should leave her right now." The math teacher thought that over and quickly said something about trying to talk to Hanako-san again and that she'd be there by tomorrow. She hung up before Sayuri could protest. The young girl sat back and sighed to herself, '_I could probably use the help._'

"Sayuri?" a voice rang out from downstairs. The girl sat back up.

"I'm going to bed. Oyasumi, Okaa-san," she called back. She was starting to feel the full weight of all that had happened. It made her tired. She slowly made her way to the bed and pulled off her sweater. Once she was in her tank top, though, something at the window caught her eye and made her jump back. Thankfully, Sayuri wasn't much of a screamer, so her mother remained blissfully unaware of her fright below. "_Hayato?_" she hissed in a whisper.

"I'm breaking you out," he flashed her a smile that would have had most girls' hearts beating wildly. Sayuri wasn't like most girls, though.

"Baka! Go home," she moved towards the window to block him from coming in. She was too late, though. Hayato was already inside when she crossed the room. Sayuri made a mental note to check the windows before she went to bed from now on. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked stupidly.

Hayato rolled his eyes, "I just told you, Yuri-chan." Pausing a moment to take in her attire, however, he turned red.

The dark haired girl took no notice of this or his comment. "How'd you even know I was here?" Sayuri hadn't told anyone where she was. Well, there was...

"Yankumi let it slip when I asked," the dark haired boy was now sitting comfortably on the window sill, leaning against the wall. He winked over at Sayuri with a playful smile. She sighed tiredly. Hayato let the idiot act drop for a moment. "Look, I don't really know what's going on, but why don't you just come out for tonight?" his voice was serious but gentle. "I'm not going to steal you away, Yuri-chan," he teased as he smiled again except this time it was softer. "You seem like you could use some fresh air anyway."

Sayuri stood there hesitating for awhile, staring at the goofy smile on her friend's face then the door and back again. "Fine," she said in a barely audible voice. If the night hadn't been so quiet, the 3D leader wouldn't have been able to hear it. Hayato smiled brilliantly as Sayuri moved quickly towards her door to lock it just in case her mom wanted to check on her during the night. She threw her sweater back on and started to climb out the window after Kurogin's resident troublemaker... Yeah, _nothing _could go wrong.

* * *

><p>"Nothing's open here," Sayuri said quietly as she passed by shops with <em>'CLOSED'<em> signs hanging on the doors. Well, it was expected. This _was_just a small town after all. It was far from a city like Tokyo. She casually wrapped her arms around herself. Even with a sweater on, the night was cold. Hayato was walking a few steps ahead. He turned around when he heard the girl speak. Seeing her position, he frowned. The next thing she knew, Sayuri had the Kurogin blazer around her shoulders. She looked up at her companion. He was slowly walking beside her now keeping pace in a thin, open dress shirt that revealed a t-shirt which looked no warmer. He had his hands in his pockets, and he was facing straight ahead. Sayuri smiled gently at his kind gesture.

"_Why are girls so weak?_" the boy muttered to himself. This stopped Sayuri in her tracks. Hayato really had a knack for ruining the moment. She threw the blazer back in his face and stomped on without the surprised boy.

"A-a-ah, that's not what I mean. Yuri-chan doesn't count," he tried to explain. "You're not a girl." Sayuri whipped around and raised an eyebrow at her idiot friend. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a slight pout on her lips. Hayato couldn't help the smile that formed when he saw her like this. '_Nine years, but this girl can still drive me crazy..._' He took a step closer. "You're not like other girls," he said softly. Normally, Sayuri would have questioned that remark and asked if he actually meant something insulting, but Hayato's tone of voice and the look on his face told her that she didn't want to push this topic any further. She turned and kept on walking.

'_He's only an idiot, only an idiot friend... only a friend... a friend..._,' she chanted to herself. '_If that's really true, then why do you have to keep reminding yourself?_' another voice asked her.

Hayato could tell that Sayuri was trying to avoid this topic (even as she argued with herself). He ran up and grabbed her arm to stop her. Looking into her eyes, though, his words caught in his throat. Standing there like that, he was at a loss of what to do next. The 3D leader let his hand slip down to grab Sayuri's smaller one. He pulled her along but not harshly. To someone else, it would have just looked like a boyfriend holding his girlfriend's hand.

"This is, uh, a _really_small town, huh?" he said on his search for a place to go. It was really only a lame attempt at small talk, though.

Sayuri nodded her head aimlessly. '_It's pretty warm... his hand._' She knew she should have pulled hers back, but the voice in her head wasn't helping her much. Besides, she was pretty preoccupied having an internal battle over the difference between friendly warmth and... _other_warmth. It took a lot of her attention away.

The two of them finally arrived at a small convenient store that was still open. Hayato made a move to head in, but Sayuri gave his hand a slight tug. He turned towards her a bit startled but pleased. A grin threatened to break across his face

"A-anno," the smaller girl began while staring at her feet. She bit her lip as Hayato waited in anticipation. "Can you let go?" she motioned to their hands to be clear.

"E-eh?" he managed to breathe out after his heart rose from its sunken position.

Sayuri pulled her hand free from his grip. "You know... you're really important to me." The boy looked down at her with new found hope. "You and all the guys: Hyuuga, Tsucchi, Take, Ryu..."

He let out a lifeless chuckle, "Is that really how it is?" he whispered the question so low that Sayuri didn't hear it. '_I probably don't want to hear her answer anyway_.' Hayato cleared his throat, and then he was back to his normal, joking self. "Nani? Are you getting sentimental on me?" he asked with a laugh. "That's not like you, Yuri-chan."

"Hayato..."

The handsome boy placed his blazer back over the girl's shoulders. "Wait here, I'll get us something to drink," he said as if he were talking to a child. He patted her head then turned to go inside the store, leaving the girl to stand outside with her thoughts.

Hayato had always treated her differently than how he treated others. She was always a little dense to it from the start, but it became clearer and clearer as they spent more time together. (There was also a small part of her that hoped that all this wasn't real, that it was just something her ego imagined.) Sayuri always thought that avoiding the subject would solve the problem, though. She truly expected it to work. She thought that maybe Hayato would think the same as she did, that their friendship meant more than that to him. _This_obviously wasn't the case. Their friendship was unclear right now. Hayato was only just trying to put on a brave face a moment ago. She sighed to herself, ruffling her own hair in frustration.

"Hey," Sayuri turned her head towards the call and came face to face with a brawny guy that made her father look kind. There was a group of guys who Sayuri assumed to be his friends surrounding him. "I haven't seen _you_around here before." The girl turned away as she rolled her eyes. "Why don't you come play with us? We can show you around," a sleazy smirk followed this comment.

"Yeah, we'll show you a _real_good time," one of the others added.

It was like a scene straight out of a movie, with the same, cliché lines to boot. Had she been in a better mood, Sayuri would have found this more amusing. Now, she was just annoyed. She was still looking away but could feel bodies moving around, closing in on her. '_I should probably finish this before Hayato –_'

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" Everyone turned around to see where the question had come from. Sayuri looked up in surprise. This hadn't been the voice she was expecting, but she recognized it without a doubt.

"Ryu? Doshite..." The boy was casually standing under the streetlight with his hands in his pockets. He raised his head after hearing his name and flashed a rare smile, but it only lasted a second.

"Who the _hell _are you?" the leader of the group demanded. Sayuri scowled at him.

"It's got nothing to do with you." Ryu started walking towards Sayuri, but one of the guys stopped him.

"Don't kid wit us... _Fuck off!_" he made an attempt to punch Ryu but failed miserably. It was a good thing these guys were dealing with boy that liked physical confrontation the least - Hayato would have never held out this long. Sayuri took this chance to survey all the guys now. For the first time, she noticed how disheveled they looked. Some of them were even having a hard time standing, and there was a strong smelling coming off of them - they were all _drunk_. If they had been sober, things may have been different, but now they definitely didn't stand a chance in hell.

The bell that signaled the convenience door opening rang. Hayato had a split second to register Ryu's presence before he took in the rest of the scene. His face instantly turned defensive. Sayuri could tell she wasn't just with her friends at this moment; she was standing in front of the two leaders of Kurogin's 3D. The small girl nudged and pushed her way out of the drunken group and towards Hayato and Ryu.

She turned back to the group nonchalantly, "I'll decline that offer." She added a sarcastic smile before she moved to pull her two friends away.

"_Oi_...," the first guy grabbed Sayuri's arm and struggled to say something coherent. It was obvious he wasn't going to let them off so easy, though.

Hayato, as hotheaded as ever, threw the guy's hand off the girl. "Why don't you watch it?" The two would have gotten into the other's face had Sayuri not stepped in between them.

"_Back off_," she said lowly, but not harshly, to Hayato. With a hand on his chest, she pushed him away from the group. "Don't start something you're going to regret later." The dark haired boy stared at her for a moment, possibly seeing another meaning behind her words. It _was_ironic, considering their predicament just a moment ago.

Ryu tried hard not to let the image of those two staring at each other bother him. When the brawny guy made another move to grab Sayuri, he stepped in and pushed both her and Hayato back. The way he was glaring at the group was chilling.

The guy who had tried to punch Ryu stepped forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "S'let her go," he sort of slurred. "S'already got two guys here... who knows how many more." The group burst into laughter as the three teenagers stared back angrily at them.

"You... can have _the_ _little slut_," one other guy sneered. Sayuri didn't have time to figure who said it because Ryu sent a sucker punch into the group. Hayato jumped in right after his friend, and the fists went flying as a full-fledged fight broke out.

It really was a bad idea to have come out. Sayuri let out a deep, exasperated breath before joining the brawl herself. It didn't take much effort at all. One punch to each stumbling idiot and they were down. The girl had basically gotten through the whole group when she finally looked up searching for her friends. It was a good thing she didn't do it any later. Ryu and Hayato were gaining up on one guy who she assumed was the one that made that last comment about her that started all this. The poor drunk was lying on the ground almost lifelessly. Sayuri couldn't bear to watch the attack anymore, even if he was a sleaze.

"Yamete!" she screamed as hurled herself towards her friends to push them off the guy. "What do you think you're doing?" This was mainly directed at Ryu. He was supposed to be the one with more self control. What the hell was this right now? He even threw the first punch. _Before Hayato!_The tall boy just huffed as he stood up, his back facing the girl. Sayuri turned to the dark-haired boy to stare him down next. He hung his head and looked away.

"Hey, what's going on out here?" a voice boomed as the bell to the convenience store rang. The owner came out and stared at the scene in front of his store, then ran back inside to presumably call the police.

"Crap," Hayato cursed under his breath. Without having to say much more to each other, the three friends took off running to no place in particular. The only thing on their minds was that they couldn't afford to get caught. They only stopped when it seemed that they were a good distance away from the chaotic scene. Again, without words, the three stopped collectively to catch their breaths. They were at what looked like a park. Sayuri moved to a nearby bench and sat down heaving while Hayato crouched on the ground to collect himself. Ryu was pacing by the tree behind them to calm himself. For awhile, they remained like that in silence as the darkness allowed each of them to hide their emotions. No one really had anything to say that could explain their actions or make up for what happened, but they all pretty much understood each other anyway. That was the good thing about being friends for so long.

Sayuri stood up suddenly with her hands on her hips, "I could really use that drink now." Her voice was breathy but the hint of a smile was evident in it. She really couldn't stay mad at these two idiots for too long. Hayato laughed as he stood up, the tense atmosphere broken.

"Well, it's a good thing I-" he cut himself short as he reached into a bag that obviously wasn't in his hand. The boy sunk back down as the realization hit him. "_Ughh_." Ryu walked over silently with a smile. Sayuri took off Hayato's blazer and threw it in his face like she had earlier, only this time it was good-naturedly.

"_Nice _one," she said with a laugh.

Hayato stood up defensively, "I was a _little _busy back there, you know." He huffed as both Ryu and Sayuri sat down on the bench laughing at him. His eyes hardened a little when they landed on Ryu, but his voice didn't show it, "When did you get here anyway?"

Ryu stopped laughing. "I should ask you the same thing. Didn't we all agree to come here tomorrow?" he questioned as he raised an eyebrow. Ryu had been the voice of reason when Take and the others wanted to rush over here, but Hayato had also readily agreed to wait. The two just stared each other down for a long moment then Hayato cracked a smile and sighed. He moved to the other side of Sayuri and sat down.

"You're just as worried as I am," he said with a pointed look at the small girl. "_I _just happen to be more impulsive." He rested a hand on top of Sayuri's head as he said this. Feeling a bit like she was insulted somehow, she shook off his hand with a pout. Ryu smiled clearly understanding what Hayato meant. Sayuri stood up with her arms crossed like an angry child. Her back was faced to the guys as they laughed at her expense.

"Gomen," she said quietly, still turned away. The Kurogin boys quickly stopped laughing. "For making you both worry... _Hontoni gomen_." She turned around and bowed, letting her hair fall and cover her face. Hayato and Ryu sat there awkwardly not sure of what to do. Then, Sayuri whipped her head back up, "But no one told you to come here." She stuck her tongue out teasingly at them and ran away - an invitation for them to follow after her. Both boys could only laugh at the girl and her antics.

"We mean a lot to her," Ryu said calmly.

Hayato let out a chuckle, "You heard everything?" The silent boy shrugged. His friend took in a deep breath, "Well, either way, I'm not giving up."

This got a smile out of Ryu, "Didn't think you would." At this comment, they both got up and chased after the girl, no different than they had when they were kids.

* * *

><p>As the sun rose steadily over the horizon, the waves turned the air on the beach chilly. The sound of the water crashing on the rocks provided an almost melodic lull, though. The three friends, all sprawled out on the sand, remained asleep for a moment as dawn broke out. They had somehow made it here to the beach after goofing off in the park. At first, they were only going to sit down, but that turned into laying which quickly led to unconsciousness. Sayuri was the first to stir awake now. She laid in between Hayato and Ryu. As she blinked away the final traces of sleep, two things came to her attention: One was the feeling of two blazers over her body. Sometime in the night, both guys must have placed it over her. She probably would have been able to appreciate this gesture more if it hadn't been for the second realization. Although she was between the pair, she was curled up against Ryu with her head on his arm and hand resting on his chest.<p>

Sayuri tried her best to not panic and get up without waking the quietly sleeping boy, but as she was about to pull away, Ryu's arm tightened from around her and brought her crashing into his body. The small girl looked up startled only to see that he was still sleeping. His breathing seemed even also. She couldn't help but smile at this. '_So... he's a cuddler?_' Something about that didn't fit Ryu, but as if on cue, the boy who usually kept to himself snuggled closer to Sayuri, hugging her like a stuffed animal. She allowed herself to close her eyes and relax in his arms for awhile. This warmth was definitely... _different_.

The girl's eyes snapped open as she caught herself. What was she thinking? She tried to wiggle herself out of the embrace as stealthily as possible, except it wasn't possible to be stealthy at all. Ryu's eyes began to flutter open. When they caught sight of the girl in his arms, they held a steady gaze on her. Sayuri couldn't seem to break away either, so she stayed there staring back while Ryu's arms and eyes wouldn't seem to relent.

"You look like a mess," the boy said with concern lacing his voice. His brows came together as he continued boring his eyes into Sayuri's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Gee, thanks," the girl laughed a little. Ryu cracked a small smile. Both their faces got serious at her next words, though. "It's not okay...," she said averting her eyes.

Sayuri chose this time to pull away from the boy. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Ryu got up also, but he positioned himself so that he sat in front of her. They sat in silence with only the sound of the waves in the background as it became obvious that Sayuri wasn't going to say more. The light-haired boy sighed a little, and then looked towards his sleeping friend to make sure he was really asleep before turning his attention back to the sad girl before him. He cleared his throat a bit then leaned back and rested on his hands.

"Isn't this the best (_saikou_)?" Sayuri followed the boy's eyes as he looked up at the sky then whipped towards the space around him. "Eh, there's a psycho?" he said altering his voice a little. She giggled out loud at his gag.

"Nani sore?" she said while grinning ear to ear. This had been a common thing between Sayuri and Ryu since they were kids. Whenever she was upset, Ryu would tell her a gag or pun to cheer her up. It was a side of him that only she saw, but it was really something that only _she_would find funny anyway. Still, this was their special secret.

"Look at all the clouds (_kumo_)," the boy exclaimed, pointing to the sky. "Better watch out for spider webs (_kumonosu_)." [_Kumo also means spider._]

"There's no meaning (_naiyo wa naiyo_)," Sayuri said as she laughed.

"I wonder, is there a dolphin (_iruka wa iruka_)?" Ryu turned to look at the ocean as he said this.

"Stop telling jokes (_share wa yamena share_)," the girl commanded not too seriously with a smile on her face.

"Shhhh," Ryu put a finger to his lips, then a hand to his ear. "The salmon was shouting (_sake ga sakenda_)." They both looked at each other and busted out laughing. Hayato rolled restlessly in his sleep next to them. This quieted them instantly, but Sayuri still held a bright smile on her face.

"Although they were third grade (_sankyu_) jokes, thank you." Ryu looked at the girl and smiled, happy to have at least cheered her up. His expression soon turned serious, though. She noticed this.

"Sayuri," he began in a tone that was softer than expected. The two friends stared intently at one another. "Ore... anata ga... su-"

"_Ughh_...," Hayato groaned, pulling the attention of the other two towards him. He winced as light hit his eyes and stretched as he tried to sit upright. A yawn escaped his lips when he located his two friends. "Ohayo," he nodded towards them while scratching his head. Ryu only nodded back, a bit pissed at having been interrupted. He was thinking that the timing of that was just a little _too_coincidental to be an accident.

"Yo," Sayuri answered with a smile, not sure if she should be grateful at having been saved from whatever it was that Ryu was going to say. You know, not that she was _expecting _anything (or at least, that's what she told herself). The girl quickly stood up and brushed the sand off of clothes. She also handed the blazers back to the guys. "I should head back now. My mom will be worried." The realization of how true that was didn't hit until the words left her mouth. She made a move to leave.

"We'll walk you!" both Hayato and Ryu stood up and proposed this at the same time. They gave each other one quick look before walking towards the girl on either side. Sayuri didn't bother to argue with them and instead sped through the streets, praying that her mother still didn't know about her absence. It was still early morning. There was a chance.

As the three of them made it to the little house, Sayuri ruled out sneaking back in. It would be too much trouble and a waste of time. If it came to it, she could just lie and say she was out for a walk. Standing at the front door, though, the group of friends could hear voices coming from the inside. Voices. As in more than one. The tired girl pushed the door open as she entered the house.

"Okaa-san?" she called out for her mother.

"Sayuri?" the older woman came out of the kitchen to meet the voice. She looked at her daughter then at the two boys behind her who bowed politely. "I thought you were still sleeping." Her face looked distressed.

The black-haired girl ignored this comment and peered behind her mother into the kitchen. "Nee-san?" She knew she had recognized the voice. Yankumi was kneeling on the kitchen floor with her head pressed to the ground. Sayuri didn't have to think to know what she was asking Hanako for: to let her come home. The pig-tailed woman looked up at the girl with small smile until she registered the other guests.

"Odagiri. Yabuki." Her eyes slightly widened in shock, but she firmly remained in her kneeling position. She was luckily able to regain herself fast. "Hanako-san, look, these guys even came all the way here to see her. Please, let Yuri-chan come back. _Onegaishimasu!_" Yankumi bowed deeply again. Sayuri didn't even want to know how many times she had already hit her head on that floor.

Hanako stood there at the entrance to the kitchen, ringing her hands and looking back and forth from Yankumi on the ground to the two boys at the door and then to her daughter. Her eyes flittered from person to person, in no way at all helping to unscramble her thoughts. Hayato and Ryu just stood and watched the scene unfold. They didn't know what was going on. Why was Yankumi on the ground like that? How serious was this secret that Sayuri had been keeping from them? Unable to answer any of these questions, the guys felt helpless. There was only one thing that they could really do right now. Taking a few steps forward and dropping down themselves, they touched their heads to the ground.

"Onegaishimasu!" All eyes turned to them. Yankumi allowed a proud smile to spread across her face before lowering her head once again. Hanako remained speechless. Sayuri walked over to her mother and took her hands. She didn't want to pressure the woman at all, so she hoped that the look in her eyes was enough to let her mother know that she wanted to go back to Tokyo. The woman took a deep, concentrated breath.

"I got offered a job transfer to this town," she told her daughter slowly. The girl nodded her head. So they were going to stay here. Well, there were _worst_ places to be. Sayuri could only hope that she wouldn't ever meet those thugs from yesterday again. "It's much closer than Osaka... so if anything happens, you _have _to call me, ne?"

"Eh?" the young girl breathed out. Yankumi, Ryu, and Hayato all whipped their heads up. "You mean..."

Hanako let go of Sayuri's hands and gripped her arms. "_Promise to call if anything goes wrong._" She shook her a little, waiting for an answer.

"I'll call you even if nothing happens," the girl smiled sweetly at her mother. "Yakusoku." The woman smiled back somewhat uncertainly, but she nodded her head in approval.

"Hanako-san...," Yankumi said elatedly. Sayuri turned to the math teacher next and hugged her tightly. She really did pull through for people when they need it.

"Arigatou," she whispered. Yankumi just patted the girl on the back. The two boys on the side looked at each other and smiled, happy knowing that they had Sayuri back again. Said girl now turned around and ran towards both boys grinning wildly. It would have been smarter had she flung her arms around the two of them, but she didn't. Instead, she ran right into the arms of one, wrapping her own around his neck and taking him off guard. She took them both down, herself landing on top of him.

Hayato could only stand by and stare.

* * *

><p>So it was a little choppy, but I just really wanted to get this out. I hope the puns weren't too cheesy for anyone because, frankly, I love those kinds of jokes ^^ Anyway, the next chapter will probably take awhile, but I'll work harder!<p> 


	10. Chapter 9: We Promise Part 1

**A/N:**So back with another chapter. I originally wrote this one out 2 weeks ago, but for some reason, I couldn't sign onto the site. Then I went away this past weekend, and so I ended up adding to the story. This chapter is so ridiculously long, though, so I had to break it down into two. Anyway, things haven't picked up for me yet. I'm also going to be busy for this next month or so, but I think I'll definitely be able to commit to my writing by the summer... So don't abandon this story, onegai!

**KuroYume:**Haha, yes. I thought Ryu needed a reason to be a part of the fight. He doesn't usually do stuff like that willingly. And don't worry about Hayato yet. I still haven't decided who Sayuri will pick. You never know... Side note, thank you for continuing to stick with this story!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: We Promise Part 1<strong>

The sun shone brightly into the Japanese style rooms of the Oedo household, filling it with warmth. Sayuri stretched around in bed and yawned. She could faintly hear Tetsu and Minoru trying to wake Yankumi up, a frightening and daily task for them. The girl smiled as she laid in bed. It was nice to be home again. Even if she had only been gone for a day. No other place could compare to here. Sayuri rolled around to her side and hugged her pillow... _which hugged her back?_No. She was flashing back to the moment with Ryu on the beach then to the one after on the ground at the doorway to the little house she had stayed at. Her cheeks burned red. Sayuri didn't know what had gotten over her, but that should never be repeated again. Even now, days after the incident, things were still a bit awkward. Not with Ryu of course. He had a knack for being able to act as if something never happened that she found helpful in situations like this. It was Hayato who was acting weird. The girl found herself feeling guilty for some unexplainable reason and purposely trying to hang around the dark-haired boy more to make it up to him. It seemed like he was finally starting to warm up again.

"Being a senior doesn't mean you can just skip school, you know," Sakura said tauntingly at the door to Sayuri's room. The younger girl had returned to relatively normal once her onee-chan had come back. The only difference between now and before was that Sakura was making an effort to be more congenial towards Sayuri. She was grateful that her sister had sacrificed her life in Tokyo just so she could stay. "You'll be late if you don't get up soon," she said more softly.

Sayuri sat up and smiled, "Hai hai." She ruffled her own hair and got up to get ready. Luckily, the pretty girl wasn't too high maintenance, so she wasn't really late at all. She sat down for breakfast with the other Oedo members.

"Ohayo," she smiled sweetly to the men at the table.

"Ohayo, Yuri-chan," Tetsu, Minoru, and Sugawara all greeted back in unison. Kuroda and Wakamatsu just smiled back and nodded at the girl.

"Itadakimasu," she said as she dug into the food that Tetsu had prepared this morning. It was really her job, but the high schooler guessed that they had all decided to give her a couple of days off after all that had passed. She didn't really need it but wasn't exactly complaining either. Still, the young girl couldn't help but think that they should all be more worried about her father. She eyed him carefully now. Wakamatsu sat silently picking at his food and trying hard to act as if he was listening to the conversation the others were having. He had a weary look in his eyes. In the end, the one affected by Hanako the most was always Wakamatsu. It would take awhile for him to recover. His eldest daughter sighed quietly to herself.

By the time the girl finished eating, Yankumi had come bounding down the stairs earlier than usual, and the two were off for school. Sayuri wanted to enjoy a quiet walk on this nice day, so she tuned out most of what the older woman was saying. As they walked on, she noticed a group of guys far off in the distance. Most of them wore Todoroki uniforms while some were dressed casually. The girl thought she could make out Taro's face within the crowd, but the group had turned a corner before she could be sure.

"Yuri-chan. Yuri-chan," Yankumi called trying to get the girl's attention and bring her back. She pouted when it didn't work. "Eh, if it was _Odagiri_, you'd listen...," the teacher mumbled. This worked like a charm. The younger girl whipped her head back.

"Nani? Don't say something so weird," she awkwardly laughed and walked ahead. Yankumi remained undeterred.

"So is it Yabuki then?" she asked catching up to the girl. "You two have been around each other a lot lately." Since Sayuri got out of school early, she had made it a habit to sneak into 3D's classroom instead of waiting for the guys outside. Yankumi was usually there, being their homeroom and math teacher, so naturally she saw the girl's interactions with her students. She wasn't as naive as some people thought.

"It's no one. I'm going to live alone for the rest of my life like _you_, Nee-san," Sayuri blurted out.

"I see," the pig tailed woman thought that over. "Wait what?" Sayuri had to suppress the urge to laugh at her clueless companion. "You know, I'm working on that right now. It's actually going pretty good. I think maybe soon..." The older woman didn't finish that thought as she went into one of her many fantasies, this one undoubtedly being something that had to do with Kujo-sensei. Sayuri just shook her head and smiled. They split ways without saying much as Sayuri headed for Momogaoka and Yankumi for Kurogin, knowing that they'd be seeing each other again soon anyway.

"Yuri-chan, ohayo." The greeting came from Maki who sat in her seat, smiling and waving to the other girl as she entered the classroom. Sayuri had only really been absent from school for two days, so the principal and everyone else had readily accepted her back. No one really asked her about what happened, though. Apparently, while she was away, the girls had headed over to Kurogin to ask 3D if they knew where or what the girl was doing. They all seemed content with just knowing that it was a family issue. This meeting, however, had lead to constant begging from Tsucchi and Hyuuga for both Naomi's and Aiko's numbers. The girls didn't care or show as much interest. Although, when Sayuri had first gotten back, Naomi _had _made some comment that bothered her a little.

"Yo," the louder girl greeted now. "Seeing those _ikemen _later?" she asked suggestively. That was it. Not that Sayuri would care if anyone called Ryu and Hayato good-looking, Naomi just made it sound like she had other intentions. Well, that didn't really concern the girl either. Maki and Naomi laughed as Sayuri just cleared her throat a little and moved to her seat, ignoring the question. Aiko was more considerate. She smiled apologetically at the other girl.

"You guys shouldn't tease her so much," the quietest girl reprimanded. "Isn't your entrance exam for Waseda the day after tomorrow, Yuri-chan?" Sayuri turned slightly serious and gave her head a nod. She had already taken the entrance exams for a couple of other universities, but Waseda was her first choice. She was applying for the law program. She just hadn't discussed it with either Wakamatsu or Hanako. Now didn't seem like a good time anyhow. They'd probably just object to it like they had before.

"Number 893," the dark-haired girl said solemnly.

"Ehhh?" everyone around her exclaimed. 893 could be interpreted as _yakuza_in the Japanese language and was known to be a bad omen for students who received it as an examination number. Sayuri let out a sigh. She wasn't concerned about the superstition so much. It was just ironic really. When she had told the others in the Oedo family, they had all cheered for her, saying their congratulations and calling it good luck.

"Daijobu," Maki assured the girl, taking her expression for one of worry. "You'll do fine."

"Yeah, it's just a number," Aiko added from the side. Sayuri smiled grateful for their support.

"Arigatou."

"Ne," Naomi interjected excitedly. "Should we celebrate her upcoming exam tomorrow?" Her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"Nobody celebrates an exam," Sayuri said, though she said it with a smile.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be scared of," Naomi said as she flung her arm around the other girl. "We'll keep things under control. Besides, you need to relieve your stress beforehand or else you won't do well." The girls all laughed at this explanation. Naomi could really come up with any excuse to let loose.

"Sou sou sou. We could even ask the 3D guys to come," Maki suggested. Sayuri had a feeling that she just wanted to see Take, though. The short haired girl looked to the others for confirmation that they didn't mind. Aiko gave a small smile while Naomi nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yosh," Sayuri said, easily relenting to the persuasion. "Tomorrow it is. I'll tell the guys." It didn't really seem like such a bad idea. She could just imagine how excited Tsucchi and Hyuuga would be. Even Take, too. Sayuri couldn't lie and say she wasn't excited either. She really needed a reprieve from reality to just hang out with her friends anyway. No worries about family or the future. This was her chance. After all that had happened, she was allowed at least one night of fun, right?

* * *

><p>The atmosphere over at Kurogin's 3D was no less excitement-filled rivaled to Momogaoka's 3A. Of course, this was almost always the case for the group of rowdy boys. Unsupervised at the moment, they freely enjoyed themselves gathering here and there, playing games, or joking around. Hayato was shooting basketball while Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga stood around and watched. Ryu sat off to the side with his hands in his pocket – the usual pose for the light haired boy. Tsucchi and Hyuuga were yet again going on about Naomi and Aiko.<p>

"Ne, Take," the tallest of the boys began. "Why don't you just talk to Maki-chan and set something up for us?" That idea had only occurred to him now, and the boy didn't know why he hadn't realized it sooner. He and Hyuuga looked expectantly toward their smaller friend.

"We aren't really that close yet...," Take trailed off almost wistfully. They truly weren't. Or at least, they weren't as close as he would have liked to be.

"How long are you guys going to keep this up?" Ryu asked his two buddies. This seemed to be all they talked about to anyone lately. It was starting to get to be too much.

"Until they get the numbers," Hayato answered as he threw the ball into the hoop with a swish. He said it tiredly as if he was dreading how long this would actually take.

"You guys wouldn't understand," Hyuuga told the two leaders. "_You_were too busy going off on your own," that last part was more of an accusation.

"You never told us what happened by the way," Take added as they all closed in on Hayato who, compared to Ryu, was the easier target for interrogation.

"Yeah," Tsucchi said as he fanned himself. "You and Yuri-chan were acting a little weird when she first got back." Hayato was surprised that his friends had noticed. They were as clueless as Yankumi at times. He should have probably given them some more credit.

"Iie," the dark haired boy breathed out. Then he muttered to himself, "_Nothing ever worked out like I planned_."

"Eh? Nani?" the other three asked, having clearly heard every word their leader had said.

Before anyone could say anything more on the subject, the back door to the classroom slammed open as Sayuri skipped her way in with a bright smile on her face, clearly unaware that she was the subject of their conversation just then. She bounded towards the five boys but not before she turned to the whole class and greeted everyone. "Yo," the girl said casually as she held up the signature bunny ears. All the guys in the class dropped what they were doing and collectively greeted the girl back.

"Ohayo, Yuri-chan!" they all grinned idiotically. The dark haired girl flashed them a grin of her own and laughed. A few of the guys _'fainted'_into each others' arms. Hayato rolled his eyes at his classmates but found himself stealing glances at the Momo student also.

"It's already afternoon," Ryu said under his breath as Sayuri made a move to steal the ball from Hayato. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him either that those two were hanging out a lot more after _"The Incident"_. That's what Ryu was calling it. He had been trying hard to act normal ever since for the sake of Sayuri and their friendship, but it wasn't something he was easily going to forget. He just wouldn't admit that to anyone.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" the small girl asked as she threw the ball into the basket. She made it in, no problem at all, and then smiled like a kid in a candy store.

The guys stood around and awkwardly coughed trying to ignore her question. "Betsuni," Hayato said brushing off the topic and retrieving the ball to make his shot. He missed.

"Nandemo nai," Take piped in a little too loudly. "_Ne? Ne? Ne?_" he asked his friends enthusiastically, prompting them to overact their parts also. Sayuri looked at all the guys who refused to return her stare. She finally turned to Ryu with her brow raised, demanding a straight answer. The quiet boy simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Ehhh...," the girl whined a little. "If you guys keep treating me like this, I just won't tell you the good news," she said with a pout on her lips, obviously teasing her friends. The boys turned their attention to her now.

"Good news?" Hyuuga asked excitedly. The pretty girl turned to face all of them properly.

"I'm hanging out with the girls tomorrow," Sayuri said, noting how Tsucchi and Hyuuga perked up at the word 'girls'. Hayato and Take were a little more toned down. Ryu was just being Ryu. "And they wanted to know if you guys wanted to come."

"By '_the girls_', you mean...," Tsucchi began to ask carefully, closing his fan.

"Maki-chan, Naomi-chan, and Aiko-chan." The reaction from the others was almost instantaneous. Hyuuga grabbed onto Tsucchi with a grin that was full of anticipation. The tall boy cheered and hugged his friend back. Take smiled to himself, no doubt clinging onto Maki's name. Hayato just seemed excited about the opportunity to have some fun... and Ryu was still being Ryu.

"Is this a _goukon_?" Hyuuga asked after a moment.

"Iie, I'd rather not think of it like that," Sayuri said with an unsure laugh. It was a weird idea for her. Since when did hanging out with a group of her friends who happened to belong to both gender groups make the whole outing a group date? She really _didn't _want to think of the situation like that. "Anyway, I'll take it that your answer is yes," the girl said with a smile. The guys all nodded their heads vigorously.

Just then, Yankumi entered the classroom with a loud bang of the door like she usually did and like Sayuri had just done a moment ago. That was the only normal thing about her entrance. The math teacher hung her head with eyes that looked glazed over, a completely different Nee-san than the one Sayuri had last seen this morning. It was obvious that her thoughts were elsewhere. She looked at no one and nothing and slowly trudged over to an empty seat and sat down, pulling her legs up and hugging them to her body. Ryu was reminded of how she had entered the room the day Sayuri had left. If the girl wasn't actually there now, he would have been more worried. The quiet boy was the closest to the woman, so he stood up from his seat and turned to face her.

"Doshita no?" The rest of the class crowded around their homeroom teacher as the question left their leader's mouth. Sayuri and Hayato remained by the basketball hoop. Yankumi proceeded to explain to the class about her tentative job situation that she had been neglecting this whole time and had only just been reminded of. Come graduation, she would be leaving Kurogin with all of 3D and therefore left unemployed. The guys all felt bad and tried to cheer up their teacher. A happy Yankumi was weird, but an unhappy Yankumi was just plain wrong.

"We haven't decided on anything yet," Tsucchi informed the yakuza heiress as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, it's not hard to find part-time jobs," Hyuuga added in effort to comfort her. He sat dejectedly on a desk with Okuma messaging his shoulders.

"Ah, you can be a tutor," Take suggested enthusiastically.

"Or teach cram school," Sayuri proposed. She knew that Yankumi would never go for that, though. In the end, the pig-tailed woman worked best in this type of environment. In a small classroom reforming misunderstood delinquents.

"Why don't you just take over your family business?" Hayato asked without thinking as he prepared to make another shot. "You're the fourth generation." The heads of Sayuri, Ryu, and Yankumi all immediately whipped towards Hayato.

"Family business?" the 3D guys all asked in unison. The teacher struggled to say something coherent in response but failed. Sayuri threw a hostile glare at the idiot who was now cowering against the wall, seeming to have finally realized his mistake. He held up his hands asking for forgiveness. A ghost of a smile danced on both Sayuri and Ryu's lips at Hayato's squeamish behavior. It was comical to watch. The high school girl decided to let this go as she turned her attention to Yankumi's questioning. Besides, she knew her Nee-san would be able to get out of this with a couple of lies. It's not like it affected her, too...

"Wait, Yuri-chan is Yankumi's cousin," Take said as he stood up.

Sayuri cursed and whispered to the side, "_I forgot_."

"So she's fourth generation also," Tsucchi finished for the scrawnier boy, pointing his fan at the girl.

"If you're fourth generation, you've been in the business for awhile," Take stated.

"What do you guys do?" Tsucchi asked both females curiously.

"You're asking me?" Yankumi said feigning ignorance.

"What was it again?" Sayuri followed the older woman's suit.

"Is it something you can't tell others?" Hyuuga asked since both of them were acting suspicious. He and Take were standing with their arms crossed in an accusing manner. Sayuri and Yankumi shot each other helpless glances, searching for a solution from the other but finding nothing. Hayato walked right into the group then.

"Shut up. It's that. A soba joint." He looked around and told everyone, making an effort to sound convincing. Ryu was leaning against a desk in the middle of the crowd with his hands in his pockets, wondering exactly where all of this was going.

The whole class turned towards their dark haired leader and spoke in unison once again. "Soba joint?"

Okuma called out from the back, "Where's your joint?" The class of boys got loud as all of them began to reiterate the same question of "Where's it at?" Hayato gave his teacher a slight nudge.

Yankumi just panicked for a moment darting her eyes around to look for an answer. She stood from her seat suddenly and pointed to some unknown place in the distance. Everyone's eyes followed. "The soba joint over there," she said. Sayuri just stared at the woman for a second, not understanding the joke she was trying to make but knowing it was bad nonetheless. Hayato reacted right away, laughing and clapping loudly for his teacher. He was trying really hard to make up for his slip up. Sayuri and Ryu immediately followed with their own clapping to add to the charade. All of 3D mimicked Sayuri's earlier action of simply staring. The yakuza heiress looked around at all her students, smiling unconvincingly. "Let's start class!" she chirped and pushed her way to the front of the room. A few groans escaped from the group. Sayuri hurried to the back of the class before anyone could turn around and ask her about this 'soba joint' she had no idea about. The young girl plopped herself down in a chair situated next to Ryu's desk which was on the end of a row of four that formed a sort of blockade in front of Hayato's sole desk in the very back. Despite also being a leader of 3D, Ryu had declined this special seating arrangement. He was more comfortable sitting side by side with his friends in the back of the class like Sayuri had done at Haiirokin. Hayato just liked the power of being able to watch over everyone like some king.

All of 3D was now making their way to their own seats, getting settled. They were talking loudly amongst themselves, but this was still an improvement from when Yankumi had first arrived at the school. Noticing this, the teacher gave a joyful smile at her class. Sayuri could just imagine what the older woman was thinking. _'These little rugrats. Even they have their good sides.' _The younger girl shook her head affectionately at this simple thing. These guys were slowly changing because of Nee-san, and they didn't even know it.

* * *

><p><em>Ring.<em>_  
><em>  
>The bell to Cafe de Rovne sounded as the group of friends exited the establishment. The rest of the school day had flown by after Yankumi's class. The other teachers left work for 3D, but all together they avoided actually teaching the class so Sayuri was safe from being caught. As they all filed out of their usual hangout now, the guys were discussing where they should go next. Tsucchi, Hyuuga, and Take were the most vocal of the conversation while Sayuri, Ryu, and Hayato hung back. The lone girl of the group smiled maternally at the idiots leading everyone to who knows where. She didn't notice the glances and longing looks she herself got from the two walking beside her. They hadn't made it far from the door before there was a thud and the voices in front had stopped, causing the others to look up.<p>

On the ground was a girl who looked to be about Sayuri's age. Sprawled about around her were various bags of groceries. The girl had medium-length, brown hair and a small face that suggested a demure personality. Sayuri noticed a sharpness in her eyes that proved otherwise, though. It wasn't hard for the dark-haired girl to guess that her friends had been careless and bumped into the other girl. Well, she at least knew why the guys were being so quiet. The girl was pretty. _Typical_. She walked up to the front of the group and bowed.

"Sumimasen," she apologized for the others then knelt down and began to help the girl gather her things. The bag in her hands, however, was ripped out from her grip. She looked up at the girl in surprise. The steel in her eyes was more prevalent now, but Sayuri noticed something else. "Anno… have we met before?" she asked uncertainly.

"Iie," the other girl said coldly although her glare faltered a little. Just then, the bell to the shop rang again as the owner came out.

"Noriko," he called to the girl who had quickly picked up her bags and was beginning to walk away. Sayuri tilted her head, thinking over the name. Noriko…

"Uh!" she said as if she had just had an epiphany. "Ochida Noriko!" she turned around and pointed at the owner of the name. Noriko looked back at her with a look that showed she was shocked that the other girl had remembered her name. "It's me, Sayuri," she said with a warm smile. "Don't you guys remember?" she asked the others who obviously recalled no one by that name. "She transferred over to Haiirokin in third grade. She sat right next to you, Hayato." The memories were brought back to the others by those words as Noriko looked towards the boy that the dark-haired girl had just addressed. She blushed slightly and looked away. Only Ryu seemed to notice this, though.

"Nori-chan?" Take called as a smile appeared on his lips.

"Eh? You guys know her?" Hyuuga asked surprised at the connections his friends had. Apparently, Haiirokin was _the_elementary school to be at. Tsucchi nodded his head as if reading the other boy's thoughts and agreeing with him.

"Long time no see, Nori-chan," Hayato smiled at the girl who refused to return his gaze.

The Café de Rovne owner spoke up now. "Were they your friends all along?" he asked the girl. The guys had been frequenters of his place for almost two years now.

"Iie," Noriko answered all too quickly. "Let's go in, Papa." She tried to push the man back towards the door.

"Papa?" the group shouted together. Coming here for so long, they never knew that the owner had a daughter let alone seen the girl. Everyone subconsciously bowed to the older man in respect. Noriko furrowed her brows, clearly uncomfortable with this situation. She handed the bags of groceries over to her father.

"I have something else to take care of. Why don't you take these in first?" she said in voice that wasn't meant to be harsh but was. The next thing the others knew, the girl had turned and bolted down the street in the other direction.

"Matte!" Sayuri called out to the girl. She made a move to run after her, but Ryu reached out his arm to stop his friend.

"She's obviously running away from us," the quiet boy told her gently.

"Doshite?" Sayuri asked genuinely confused. Noriko had been her first friend at Haiirokin that was a girl. She was her first friend since she met Take, Taro, Ryu, and Hayato. The first person to be let into her little group. Sayuri frowned. Had she really lost another friend without knowing how?

"Sumimasen," Ochida-san apologized to the youngsters. "She's not very good with her words," he tried to explain. Everyone shook their heads to let him know that he didn't need to say sorry for anything. "Things are hard on us right now. I'm sure it's nothing personal," he continued to offer up words of comfort anyway.

Sayuri smiled at the man's efforts. "Arigatou. Will you tell her that we'll be back?" she asked the man. She intended to reconnect with the other girl whether she wanted to or not. Friends were people you met through fate and cherished. They weren't something you just threw away over time. Yankumi had taught her that much. Ochida-san nodded his head and went back inside to watch his store.

The group all turned and started walking again although no one was talking as animatedly as before. Tsucchi and Hyuuga would have normally asked or made some comment about such a pretty girl, but something about that seemed inappropriate to them right now. They all showed consideration and tried to remain quiet as Sayuri walked on silently, deep in thought. She was trying to remember if Ryu had told her anything about Noriko or if they had talked about her since Sayuri's return. The dark-haired girl felt guilty once she realized that she hadn't really bothered to ask. It was understandable that the guys wouldn't remember Noriko since they weren't exactly close, but Sayuri had considered Noriko and herself to be best friends. What kind of best friend was she? The girl let out a heavy sigh. This was just what she needed right before her entrance exam for Waseda.

"She stopped hanging out with us after you left," Ryu said quietly from the side.

"I think the girls in class gave her a hard time for being around us so much," Take added as he began to remember the past.

"You know, she wasn't as tough as you," Hayato explained. "She didn't intimidate anyone, so they weren't afraid of her." Sayuri stared at the boy as she let his words set in. She knew that the guys had accumulated a fanbase back at Haiirokin, but she never realized that it would cause trouble to either her or Noriko. The girl opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off as her thoughts were being vocalized.

"You guys knew?" Tsucchi asked.

"And you didn't do anything?" Hyuuga followed. He tried hard not to make it sound like an accusation.

"We did," Ryu said simply. "But she still never came back to the group." Sayuri frowned. She was about to ask if they had tried hard enough, but she knew the guys better than that. They valued friendship as much as she did.

The girl took in a deep breath. "Ne, where did you say we were going again?" she tried to say cheerily as she skipped to the front of the group. She didn't want to be bringing everyone down with what she saw as _her_problem. She should be the one to deal with it and sigh over it on her own. The guys all turned to their friend. It was painfully obvious that she was putting on an act, but what else could they do besides play along? They didn't know how else to help the girl, but they could at least ease her mind and let her have some fun.

"Hmm, where?" Hyuuga pondered exaggeratedly with a hand to his chin.

Tsucchi closed his fan and pointed to the distance with an exited smile. "To Yuri-chan's soba joint!" Take and Hyuuga clapped enthusiastically as they dragged a wide-eyed Sayuri and followed behind Tsucchi.

"E-eh?" the girl managed to breathe out. She turned to Ryu and Hayato for help with a frantic look in her eyes. The boys each got a friend and threw their hands off of the girl, pulling her back. The other three looked back in surprise.

"Doshita no?" Take asked innocently.

Hayato faltered a moment before answering. "Didn't we just eat back there? Why are we eating again?" he asked logically. "Let's go karaoke. Or to the gay-cen."

"Pool," Ryu suggested calmly from the side. The three in the back flashed nervous smiles that even a complete idiot wouldn't buy. Before the others could press any further, though, Sayuri noticed something in the window of the restaurant they were standing in front of.

"Sakura?" she whispered her sister's name. As if hearing it through the glass, the smaller girl turned toward the group in surprise but quickly waved at everyone. The person sitting across from Sakura looked out the window also. The girl's eyes widened to the size of plates when she caught sight of Tsucchi, but a smile appeared on her lips.

"Miyazaki...," the taller boy breathed out.

"Ehh, that's the girl from...," Hyuuga pointed and trailed off as he looked to his friend.

"Dare?" Sayuri asked the guys curiously. While the two girls inside got up and paid for their drinks, the older girl was given a quick rundown of Tsucchi's relationship with the junior high student and his almost-expulsion. She had heard some of the story before and was practically caught up when the other two came out and joined the group.

"Onee-chan," Sakura called with a smile. It wasn't the smile of a little sister happy to see her older sister, though. The younger girl looked around at all the guys surrounding her onee-chan and smirked a smirk full of improper implications. It seemed as if she had forgotten her resolve to treat her sister with more consideration. Sayuri moved towards her imoto and put her in a headlock.

"_Urusai_," she gritted. Sakura held onto her sister's arm laughing.

"I didn't say anything yet." Sayuri let go of the girl with a pout. The guys laughed a little uneasily at this exchange but smiled when Sayuri messed up Sakura's hair in an affectionate gesture that they'd only seen Yankumi do with them. The younger girl pushed her sister's arm away like the guys so often did. She stepped back and fixed her hair then seemed to notice her friend again. "Ah, this is Miyazaki Nao. She's a friend from school," Sakura introduced with a smile. The others also gave quick introductions.

"So you go to Kirigaya, then?" Hyuuga asked and received a nod from the younger Wakamatsu.

"Don't tell me. Ishikawa...," Tsucchi began. Sakura made a face and wrinkled her nose.

"He's our homeroom teacher," she answered. "Well, Nao says he used to be a whole lot worse than he is now, but some weird teacher taught him a lesson." The entire group, excluding Sakura, laughed at this.

"_That_would he Nee-san," Sayuri told her imoto.

"Eh? Hontoni?" she asked, mouth open. "So, that tall ikemen...," she said to herself as she turned her eyes to Tsucchi.

"_Sakura_," Nao whined, pulling on the girl's sleeve. She blushed from embarrassment and looked away. Sayuri bit back a smile at this. She flicked Sakura's forehead.

"Think before you speak," she reprimanded. The younger girl pouted and put a hand to her head. The group laughed, though the guys were laughing more because of how similar the two sisters were.

Tsucchi turned to Nao, "It's been awhile. Genki?" The small girl looked up and smiled at the boy. She gave her head a cute nod. Take and Hyuuga went over to tease their taller friend while Sakura did the same to her smaller one.

"Ne," Take said as he paused from his teasing. "Saki-chan, do you remember me?" The boy pointed to himself in an unsure manner that made Sayuri smile.

"Take-kun," Sakura said with a toothy grin. She looked to Hayato next. "And Taku's aniki." This caused a sour expression to form on the dark-haired leader's face. The girl giggled then turned to the quietest boy with a glint in her eye. "And _Ryu-nii_." The others all gaped at this while Ryu shifted uncomfortably.

Sayuri grabbed her little sister, "Oi!" The girl really did love to cause her older sister hell.

"Were you two always like that?" Hyuuga asked seriously, staring at his friends.

"It makes sense though," Take said in an almost knowing way that unnerved Sayuri. She noted how he smiled at Ryu.

"Chigau," Hayato told everyone defiantly. "_Chigau_." He looked around at the stares he was getting and tried to laugh it off. "Saki-chan, you need to work on your jokes." The younger girl looked to her pensive sister and then to Hayato with a look of pity.

"Maa na. It wasn't that funny, huh?"

"Eh? You were just joking?" Tsucchi asked while fanning himself. "You scared us."

Before anyone could say anything more on the matter, Sayuri decided to relocate the group from the middle of the sidewalk to somewhere more suitable. She didn't think taking the girls to the gay-cen or karaoke would be a good idea, so they all just walked around in search of a place. Somehow or another, the group ended up at Tetsu and Minoru's takoyaki stand, much to the dismay of the Wakamatsu girls. Ryu and Hayato subtly bowed to the two Oedo henchmen from the back of the group. They all ordered some takoyaki and sat down at the benches to eat and talk. There was no topic that they didn't hit on.

"Hmm, so you're both planning on going to Kurogin?" Sayuri asked with her mouth full. Everyone smiled at the girl who seemed to turn into a child when there was food around.

"Hai," Nao answered with a nod. She had meant it last time when she said that she wanted to attend the school.

"It'd be cool if Nee-san was my teacher, ne?" Sakura piped in. Her older sister raised an eyebrow, wondering if that would truly be cool. Well, it'd definitely be _something_.

"But Yankumi won't be teaching there in April," Take told the girls who whipped their heads up. The guys told them how she was hired as a temporary teacher for 3D and would be leaving once they graduated. The two Kirigaya students looked at one another, sad at losing the opportunity to be with such a dedicated teacher.

"Ojou," Tetsu breathed out sorrowfully, thinking about the woman. He had evidently been listening in on their conversation.

"Ojou?" half of the group questioned. The other half held astonished faces. They looked to one another, unsure of what to do.

Tetsu broke from his daze and froze, realizing his mistake. "O-ojou_hin_. We're closing up soon, so there's extra takoyaki if you don't mind, ojou_hin_," he said trying to smoothly cover up the mishap. "Ne, Minoru?" The other Oedo member followed suit, and everyone seemed to let it go. Tetsu still sent an apologetic look to Sayuri and the others, though.

"Is that okay?" Nao asked about the food.

"Didn't you give us one on the house before?" Hyuuga recalled.

"It's fine," Tetsu told the students as he handed then the takoyaki.

"Thank you for the food," Sayuri and Sakura bowed quietly. With that, the incident more or less blew over. The group finished eating as quickly as possible and was done by the time Tetsu and Minoru had finished closing shop. Sayuri decided it was best if they all went home. Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga voiced their objections, but Ryu and Hayato reminded them about their plans for tomorrow which seemed to pacify the boys. Since Nao was heading towards the same direction, the older girl demanded that the guys walk her home. They probably still would have done it anyway had she not told them to. The Wakamatsu sisters stood by the closed-up stand and waved to the others as they left. Once they were sure that they couldn't be seen anymore, the girls walked over to Tetsu and Minoru, and the four of them headed home together. Tetsu seemed most worried about Yankumi the whole time, but Sayuri noticed something else in the man.

"This means Nee-san will have to find another job. If she can't, then there's always the family business to take over," the girl mused out loud. Her companions all turned their attention to her. "That's what you're thinking, ne?" Tetsu looked away guiltily. The older girl forced a smile. There was no way to stop Tetsu from dreaming about the things he wanted. She was just thinking that she didn't want the teacher to have a harder time than she already was, though. Working hard towards what you want in life was a difficult thing. You needed all the support you could get. She sighed, letting her thoughts drift to her own support system. Her parents may not have been of the greatest assistance in that area, but she at least still had her friends. These thoughts were getting the girl excited for tomorrow when she would be seeing those foolish friends again. They may get themselves into a lot of trouble at times, but at least, they were all caring people.

* * *

><p>I didn't know if this was a good place to end the chapter, but it picks up in the next one… so go read!<p> 


	11. Chapter 10: We Promise Part 2

**A/N: **So this is the second half, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: We Promise Part 2<strong>

The next morning flew by like a breeze without much to talk of. Well, there was the incident before school of Yankumi forcing Sayuri to get onto a bus to chase after Kujo-sensei with her, ignoring the girl's insistence that there was no point since they would have to get off at the next stop anyway. On the bus, the yakuza background in both females shone through as a group of high school boys refused to give up their seat to an elderly person. Sayuri was a whole lot more toned down than the older woman, but the combination of the two of them had scared off almost the entire bus. Then, at Momogaoka, the dark-haired girl was subjected to the teasing of her friends who were pumping themselves up to hang out later. Naomi and Maki were going on about how they should dress up and really surprise the guys, which Sayuri rejected flat-out. She had headed over to Kurogin, hoping for some normalcy in her day but found none. Instead, she found the next best thing: entertainment. This came in the form of practice interviews. Tsucchi, Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi were being interviewed by Joyful Company tomorrow for job positions, so Yankmui wanted to help prepare them properly. Four chairs were placed in the middle of the classroom with Yankumi sitting at a desk in front of the class facing them. The rest of 3D either sat behind their teacher or behind the interviewees' seats. Sayuri sat between the two leaders right in the front of the class. The four students were called into the room as their classmates _ooh'd_ and _ahh'd _like the high school boys they were. Right off the bat, it was obvious that there was a lot of work that needed to be done.

"Tsuchiya, don't fan yourself," Yankumi instructed and was met with a hostile response. "Kojima, take off your hat. Omori, the last person closes the door."

"Man, you're so annoying," Tsucchi said while continuing to fan himself.

"Hamaguchi, you can't wear sunglasses," the teacher called out to the other boy who whipped his shades off, revealing his eyes for the first time. Or at least, it was the first time for Sayuri.

"He's got round eyes, surprisingly," Sayuri said to herself as Hamaguchi blinked rapidly. She had to fight the urge to laugh out loud. Once the boys made a proper entrance, the actual interviewing started.

"Tsuchiya-kun, why do you want to work for us?" Yankumi asked perfectly in the role of an interviewer.

"Because Yankumi encouraged us," the tall boy answered innocently. Sayuri bit down on her lip as others in the class fell over each other from his surprisingly honest response.

"That's not what you say," his teacher reprimanded. She followed up by giving an example and instructing the boy not to use the slang, _gay-cen_. "Really…," she said under her breath with a sigh. "The next person," she moved on. "Omori-kun, please tell us your favorite saying."

"Favorite saying?" the blond boy asked, clearly at a loss. "Iya, I don't have one. Maybe, money." Sayuri couldn't help but smile at these clueless boys who always tried to put on a tough act. There was nothing tough about them right now, but the girl could tell that Yankumi's patience was wearing thin as she tried to explain that what she meant was a proverb or maxim not a word. Omori yelled in frustration not knowing what either one of those were.

"Ah… Like 'It's good to fight'," Kojima said enthusiastically from next to Omori.

"'Get rich quick'," Hamaguchi threw out with a smile and hand gestures.

"How about 'BBQ lunch'?" Tsucchi asked in all seriousness. Sayuri would have allowed herself to laugh had the math teacher not slammed her hand down on the desk at that moment. The young girl reacted quickly.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?" Yankumi said in her yakuza tone as she stood up, shoving the desk out of her way. Sayuri got to her first followed by Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Hyuuga. All five of them struggled in holding the woman back while Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi tried to hold Tsucchi back. 3D had all gotten out of their seats. "Do you want to do this or not?" the yakuza heiress asked angrily.

"Then, why don't you show us an example?" Ryu said calmly from the side. Everyone looked towards him.

"Yeah," Hayato agreed. "We've never been interviewed before." Sayuri nodded her head, understanding their reasoning.

"Why should I?" Yamkumi asked childishly, seeming to have calmed down.

"Is it that you don't have any confidence?" Take asked in a tone that suggested he knew she didn't. Everyone else in class, including Sayuri, egged the teacher on with an _'hmm'_.

"Suspicious," Hyuuga said in a deep voice.

"There's no way," the teacher said defensively. She shook off the students with an unnecessary force. Only Sayuri didn't seem taken back by it. "Alright, fine," she agreed. "I'll show you guys the right way." Walking forth, she addressed some unknown presence. "Watch me," she said accompanied with a wink and peace sign. The guys just stared at her peculiarly then turned away. Sayuri smiled as she walked to her seat.

"Yuri-chan, too," Hayato said, stopping the girl. "You can show us how it's done."

"Eh?" the girl's smile faded. "I don't want to," she said looking around the class. It was _because_they were friends that she didn't trust them. Hayato simply nodded to a few guys as they surrounded the girl.

"Gomen ne, Yuri-chan," Misawa, one of the guys, said while trying to drag the girl outside. She shook off the hold much like her Nee-san had just done a moment ago and was about to walk up and teach the dark-haired leader a lesson for trying to order her around when she was pulled back by a slender arm.

"There's nothing to be shy about, Yuri-chan. Let's go," Yankumi said too cheerily for the younger girl's taste. She tried to fight her way out of the woman's grip, but it was futile. She cursed herself for not training more properly as a child and reluctantly followed the stronger woman. They waited outside for about a minute or two before they were finally allowed to enter. There had been a lot of shifting noises during this time.

"Shitsurei shimasu," Sayuri bowed as she entered the room. She stopped before moving to the chairs, though.

"Shitsurei shimasu," Yankumi reiterated as she closed the door then walked right into Sayuri. She looked up and saw what had made the young girl freeze. Hayato, Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga all had on ridiculous glasses and were seated at the front of the room with semi-serious expressions. Hayato had taken off his blazer and unbuttoned his dress shirt in some attempt at looking professional. Sayuri saw that a pair of glasses laid untouched on Ryu's desk as he faced away from his idiotic friends. He gave the girl a small shrug as if to tell her that he couldn't stop them.

"Take a seat," Hayato said in a breathy voice. Sayuri and Yankumi made their way to the center of the room uncertainly. The older woman sat down with more confidence.

"Alright, bring it on," she said like was preparing herself for battle. Sayuri mimicked her Nee-san, gritting her teeth and nodding fiercely.

"This isn't a fight," Ryu reminded from his seat. The two females snapped out of their aggressive modes.

"Hai," Sayuri said in a small voice that Ryu couldn't help but give a tiny smile to.

"Why did you want to work here at Kurogin Academy?" Hayato said in a fluid and soft tone, addressing his question to Yankumi. He ended by coolly pushing his glasses up. It was all so ridiculous that Sayuri had to look away so that she wouldn't laugh. Yankumi gave some really long and thorough answer that made no sense to her class and that even Sayuri had a hard time following. There were sounds of protest from the boys even before she finished speaking. "What language are you talking?" Hayato said in his angry voice, which was at least more normal than his sophisticated one. Clearing his throat, he returned back to the act. "Wakamatsu-kun," Sayuri raised an eyebrow waiting to see where this was going. "Why did you want to participate in 3D's 'Practice Interview Project'?" he asked with a fake smile.

Sayuri plastered on one also, "I didn't." Yankumi nudged the girl a little from the side while some of the boys couldn't hold back their laughs. Hayato shook his head and _tsk'd_then wrote something down on the paper in front of him. Tsucchi posed the next question.

"Who do you respect the most?" he asked the both of them, imitating the voice of an elderly man.

"My grandfather who took care of me as a parent," Yankumi answered truthfully.

"Grandfather?" Tsucchi repeated. He looked to Sayuri next.

The girl gave a creepy grin, "My father who will kill anyone who picks on me… _Slow and painfully_." The temperature in the whole room dropped several degrees. The pig-tailed woman nudged the girl a little harder this time. Ryu and Hayato just gave each other apprehensive looks.

"Well then," Hyuuga said in a somewhat normal voice. "Let's have your measurements." Sayuri rolled her eyes and told herself that the sleazy smirk on her friend's face was only made unconsciously.

"That's not going to happen," she said crossing her arms.

Yankumi naively answered without skipping a beat, "Well, starting at the top, 95-58-88." The younger girl looked over at her companion doubtfully. Shouts asking if that was real came out from the class. "Why are you asking that question?" the woman demanded having thought it over after she spoke.

"You shouldn't lie," Ryu told his teacher who answered with a passive '_hai_'.

"Well, do you have a boyfriend?" Take asked the teacher next with his chin on his hands.

"Eh?" Yankumi exclaimed in surprise then turned all schoolyard-crush-like. "Well, I have someone I like, but it's not going well with him though." She held an innocent smile. Sayuri tossed an all-knowing look at the older woman. That was different from what she had said yesterday morning.

Ryu yet again made another side comment, "We didn't ask for such details." Yankumi looked up in embarrassment.

"Moving on," Take said before the woman could blow up. He addressed the next question to Sayuri, "When was your first kiss?" The guys in class all quieted down to wait for the girl's answer. She had lost the feistiness she had had throughout the interview and was biting down on her lip. Hayato cleared his throat conspicuously with the hint of a smile.

Ryu looked over at him, "Don't tell me…"

"It didn't count!" Sayuri said standing up red-faced, confusing some of the slower people in the class. She looked around the room self-consciously. "Don't ask such questions!" she yelled and stalked out of the classroom in a fit.

"Yuri-chan," everyone called out. Since school was basically over anyway, Ryu, Hayato, Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga all followed her out. Yankumi let them go but kept the rest of the class. When the guys caught up to the girl, they found her outside the Kurogin gates leaning against a wall. No one dared to approach her, though. Take took the first tentative step forward.

"Yuri-chan, gomen ne," he apologized for having asked the thoughtless question in the first place. Sayuri saw the look of worry and guilt etched in her friend's childish face and instantly felt bad.

"Iya," she said although she was still pouting. "I'm just overreacting." Take gave a small smile at this, which Sayuri returned. Hayato stepped forward and opened his mouth to say something, but he seemed to think better of it and stepped back. Ryu took note of this but kept quiet.

"We're meeting Maki and the girls at Café de Rovne soon," Sayuri said looking at everyone. She hated ruining the mood all the time with her problems. "We should probably go now," she added a genuine smile that convinced them all that she was okay.

"Let's go," Hayato said to the group.

The walk was spent with Tsucchi and Hyuuga talking about their excitement at getting to see Naomi and Aiko and having the others listen to them. They talked about Tsucchi's job interview tomorrow, too. Sayuri chose to remain silent and mainly stayed in the back, walking with Ryu who was perfect company for when you didn't feel like talking. '_It really didn't count. It really really didn't count,_' the girl kept telling herself, still hung up on the question she had been asked. '_You can't consider a stupid mistake in elementary school as a first kiss_.' Arriving at Café de Rovne, Sayuri had successfully cleared her thoughts of that event which did not exist and instead was looking around the place, hoping to spot Noriko. She opened the door to the cafe and made a beeline for the owner. Before she could open her mouth to ask anything, though, a chuckle had escaped the old man's lips.

"She's not here," he said, obviously having known what the girl would ask. "She's been avoiding coming here ever since I relayed your message," he seemed sad at having to tell the girl this news. Sayuri frowned having to hear it.

"Sou ka," she said as she turned around dejectedly and walked over to sit down at the table. The guys joined her carefully so they wouldn't upset her any further. Sensing this, Sayuri looked up with a smile. "Ne," she said trying to sound happy. "Didn't you say you need to fill out your resume, Tsucchi-kun?" The taller boy nodded and smiled, taking out his papers. The group spent their time waiting for the others by helping their friend with his resume. By the time the girls got there, everything was finished. All that needed to be done was to get Tsucchi a decent photo since all he had was a hostile looking one which screamed trouble and one with Take and him surrounded by hearts which was too inappropriate. Everyone introduced themselves before heading out to do just that. Sayuri noted how Maki and Take stuck to each other, straying away from the group. She also saw Tsucchi's particular interest in Naomi. They were talking and laughing as they lead everyone forward. The dark-haired girl shook her head as she watched Aiko shy away uncomfortably at Hyuuga's efforts to get her number. She let out a small laugh, resolving herself to have fun tonight with this lot of misfits. Everyone waited outside the photo booth as Tsucchi went in, chatting amicably.

"Alright, I have my picture. And my resume is done, too," the tall boy said in satisfaction once he picked up the photos. Sayuri and Naomi walked up to the boy, clapping and faking moved expressions. The others laughed. Hyuuga went up and cheered for his friend.

"Okay then," Hayato said calling the group's attention. "Along with Sayuri's exam, should we celebrate his upcoming interview?" He got _ooh's_from the guys as Sayuri tried to remember where she had heard that before.

"Nobody celebrates an interview," Ryu said from his position leaning against the booth.

"Daijobu, daijobu," Hyuuga went over to the serious boy. "There's nothing to be scared of." He rested an arm on Ryu's shoulder.

"Sou sou sou. Let's go karaoke," Take suggested excitedly. The girls all turned to each other, tilting their heads. Sayuri cracked a smile, and that's when they all broke into laughter. The guys gave them confused looks.

"Ne," Maki started in between laughs. "I didn't know how alike we all were."

"The exact same," Naomi said with a smile.

"Eh?" the guys wondered what they were talking about.

Sayuri just smiled, walking ahead. "Nandemo nai." Still confused but happy at seeing their friend truly smile, the guys began following after the girl.

"Okay, then let's go," Hayato said excitedly as he and Hyuuga goofed off going the wrong way and such. Take and Maki walked together while the rest followed behind. Tsucchi was at the very back of the group, trying to put his papers back into his bag. They slipped from his grip, though. As he bent down to pick them up from the ground, a foot stopped him.

"Aren't you from Kurogin?" Sayuri could hear in the background. The others stopped when the girl turned around.

"Tanabe from Todoroki," Tsucchi said standing up straight. Sayuri only took a split second to register Taro's school name. She could sense the danger radiating from these two. The group turned back around and walked right into the trouble. Sayuri pulled the girls back.

"Should we call the police?" Aiko asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Iie," Sayuri answered. "You guys just stay here." Maki nodded her head at the other girl's words, knowing this was serious. If it had just been her and Sayuri, she wouldn't have minded, but their friends weren't as inclined towards violence. Naomi stood off to the side, not paying attention to the girls, too preoccupied with watching the confrontation unfold.

"You guys are gonna find work, too?" this Tanabe person asked. Sayuri already didn't like his attitude.

As hot-headed as ever, Hayato answered. "Huh? You gotta problem with that?" Sayuri ran up to the boys, ready to stop them if necessary.

"Gonna work hard once you graduate?" the jerk said condescendingly.

"None of you business," Take spat out. Sayuri was a little surprised, but she guessed that the boy was just as unhappy with this turn of events as the rest of them.

"Working?" Tanabe said with a smile that turned into a sneer. "Are you guys stupid?" he asked as he tore up Tsucchi's resume and photos.

"Why don't you stop it already?" Hayato said intensely as he grabbed the other boy's blazer. Sayuri put her hand on his arm, but it was Ryu who spoke.

"Stop it," he said in his calm manner. "Don't pay attention to these kinds of guys." The dark-haired girl understood what the quiet boy was trying to say, but once the words had left his mouth, she could tell that the others wouldn't. There was no going back now. The Todoroki guys all turned to Ryu.

"_These kinds of guys?_" Tanabe repeated. "Now you've said it." Sayuri dropped her hand and sighed defeatedly as another guy grabbed Hayato's collar.

"You looking down on us?" he asked angrily before the impulsive 3D leader sent a punch flying at his face.

"Hayato!" Sayuri screamed but the boy didn't listen. Each Kurogin boy grabbed a Todoroki boy as the fight broke out for real. Ryu and Sayuri played mediators trying to stop their friends although the levelheaded boy also had to dodge his own share of blows. Two older businessmen walked by the fight, almost getting hit themselves.

"Man, what's with high school students nowadays?" she heard one of them say. Sayuri didn't have time to worry about these strangers, though, because she saw a Todoroki guy going straight after Maki, Naomi, and Aiko who all remained in the back, away from the chaos like she had instructed. She pulled him back and sent her fist into his gut, causing him to crumple to the ground. Her three classmates stood with their mouths open, gaping at their friend. She went over to them.

"Gomen," the girl said. "You guys should just leave first."

"_Demo_…," Maki began. Sayuri sent her a pleading look. "Wakatta." She pulled Naomi and Aiko along as they left the scene. The dark-haired girl turned her attention back to the brawl. Ryu was still trying to get his friends to stop, but it was obvious that his attempts were unsuccessful. The fight was basically over with anyway. The Todoroki guys all laid sprawled out on the ground with various injuries and bruises. Sayuri ran up to Hayato who was still pounding the first guy he had punched.

"Hayato!" she called. "Yamete." The girl grabbed her friend's arm as it came down to make contact with the victim's face again. "Let's go," she pleaded as she pulled him up and along. Seeing this, Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga began retreating also. They were some distance away before Sayuri allowed them to stop. She backed up, standing by Ryu and staring at the others.

"Where are the girls?" Hyuuga asked looking around.

"You're asking that now?" the Momo student snapped. The guys all looked at her. "What are you thinking getting into a stupid fight like that?"

"You saw what they did to Tsucchi," Hayato defended.

"Don't you get it?" the girl shouted. "There are times when you have to act smart. Times to exercise self-control. Try to live your lives more seriously!" she told them angrily. The girl took a moment to collect herself. "Up until now, you've had people covering for you no matter what you did. But it's all going to be different once you graduate. It's not as simple as _'clean up your own mess'_." Here, her voice softened up a bit, "You'll have to take responsibility for your actions from here on out. Your thoughtless acts might involve others and hurt them. There might be things that can't be undone." She sighed to herself, "Just keep that in mind."

Hayato stared at his friend for a second then huffed. "Stop trying to lecture us like Yankumi," he told the girl, brushing off her words. Sayuri looked away from the boy angrily. She tried to steady her breathing as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

"Do whatever you want then," she gritted as she fought back angry tears. What good was being caring guys if they didn't care about their own lives? Why was it so hard for them to do that? The girl thought she had known her friends better, but now she doubted herself. She stalked off toward home, ignoring the calls from Take. Ryu let her go silently, unable to come up with a good reason as to why she should stay. Yup, this was _just_the night she needed to prepare herself for her entrance exam tomorrow.

* * *

><p>"Ohayo, Yuri-chan," Maki greeted less cheerily than usual the next morning. The girl had gone straight to bed when she arrived home last night and talked to no one. She left for school by herself this morning, unsure if she'd be able to face her Nee-san without telling her everything. She had to come to class today before she went to the exam since it didn't start until the afternoon. Sayuri sat down at her desk without saying much. She only nodded her greeting to the others. She hadn't talked to any of the guys since last night, except for texting Tsucchi good luck for his interview which he only replied to with an <em>arigatou<em>. The dark-haired girl sighed to herself. She just didn't know what to do with the guys.

"A-anno." Sayuri looked up from her desk. Naomi was standing with her head bowed. "Gomenasai!" she apologized. The seated girl raised an eyebrow. "I knew those guys last night," the girl confessed. She explained to Sayuri how the guy she had been seeing was actually a guy named _Takagi-kun_, a graduate of Todoroki. That alone had gotten Sayuri to sit up straight. Taro's cousin? That was the worst possible guy she could choose to date. Apparently those jerks yesterday weren't just his _kohei_, they were his friends - the ones that she had mentioned before about being obnoxious. Naomi assured the girl that she wasn't seeing Takagi anymore, much to Sayuri's relief. She apologized again for last night.

"Iie," the dark-haired girl said. "It's not your fault, Naomi-chan." Sayuri couldn't blame the girl for something she had no control over. The blame went to other people who didn't know how to control _themselves_. She said no more on the topic, too tired to think about it further. (That proved to be a harder task than expected, though.) Instead, she focused her thoughts on passing the entrance exam for Waseda which she needed to start heading out to. Maki, Aiko, and Naomi all wished Sayuri good luck as she left for the testing.

The exam period only lasted for about two hours, so the girl decided that she would go and check up on the guys afterwards. It was the only thing she could tell herself so that she wouldn't be worrying during the exam, which worked. Leaving the building, Sayuri felt confident that she had tried her best. Whether she passed or not was a different story. With that worry out of the way, though, the girl felt lighter as she walked towards Kurogin. Now she just had to reconcile with the guys. As she reached the gates to the academy, they all came stalking out of the building angrily. It took Sayuri off guard and made her lose some confidence. Hayato looked up at the girl in surprise, calling out her name, but he quickly collected himself and moved on. Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga all looked as if they would stop also, but they followed their leader in the end. Only Ryu remained in front of the girl.

"Doshita no?" she asked, her eyebrows knit together. The quiet leader explained to her how the old men from last night were actually interviewers from Joyful Company. They had dropped Tsucchi, Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi without letting the students get interviewed. Sayuri bit her lip, realizing her words from last night had come into fruition. Ryu continued to tell her how the Vice Principal wasn't allowing anyone from 3D to look for jobs now since it was hurting the school's stupid reputation. The Superintendent even threatened expulsion. He also told her how Yankumi had declared that it was her dream to have all the students graduate together and set on the right path. "Nee-san," Sayuri said. She took in a deep breath. How did things become such a mess? Ryu left the girl to herself as he went after his friends. Not wanting to face anyone right now, Sayuri took a walk around the area, deep in her own thoughts. She wondered to herself if maybe she had said a little too much last night. Still, the girl knew that those things needed to be said. She thought to the practice interviews they had had yesterday. Tsucchi, Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi had all been so excited. What was this now? She suddenly felt anger rising inside of her, anger towards the guys that had ruined everything for her friends.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the girl spotted the Todoroki uniforms up ahead. Blinded by her rage, she stormed toward the group without thinking and called out, "Oi!" The faces that turned toward her, though, didn't belong to any of the guys from last night, but Sayuri still recognized them. "Ta-chan..." The boy looked back at the girl in surprise, but he steeled himself quickly.

"What do you want?" Tomikawa demanded from the side. He was currently shooting Sayuri a very hostile look. The girl remained unflinching under the stare. She turned her eyes back to her childhood friend.

"Can we talk?" her voice was soft as she asked the question, but there was a seriousness in her expression that said she wouldn't allow for the answer to be no. Taro seemed to hesitate for a moment before sending his '_friends_' away, much to their protests. Sayuri watched them walk off and waited until they were far away enough to start talking again. She gave a small smile, "Not too cool to be around me now?" The boy looked away, uncomfortable with her joking. Sayuri sighed. "I guess we can talk about our problems some other time," she said tiredly. "I have a favor to ask." Taro returned his attention to the girl. "Can you stop your guys from causing trouble with Kurogin?" she was staring intently at the boy, waiting for an answer.

For the first time since they reunited, her old friend smiled again, except this was a twisted smile full of spite. It was nothing like the ones in her memories. He scoffed, "And why do you assume those _punks_ aren't the ones picking a fight with _us_?" Sayuri struggled to keep her composure.

"Do you not know what happened yesterday?" she asked calmly. The girl proceeded to explain to the Todoroki head about the run-in from last night and its consequences this morning. All of this was obviously news to Taro, but he hid it pretty well. "They aren't even allowed to look for jobs anymore."

The boy shoved his hands into his pocket. "It has nothing to do with me," he dismissed it all, turning away. Sensing that Sayuri was about to push the subject further, he added, "Who cares anyway? Don't act like any of us actually have a future." He turned back to face her as he continued. "We're all just a bunch of delinquents with one thing going for us: _fighting_."

"Don't screw around with me!" Sayuri bursted out in a yakuza tone that Taro found familiar even after all these years. "Eighteen years old, you're all just kids," the girl said, ignoring the fact that she fell under the same category. "Good or bad, you sometimes just go with your gut feeling with no regard for gain or loss. You make mistakes," she told him. "Finding work or going to college is just the beginning of your lives. Don't talk like it's already over!... You have to face your life directly, and keep that up until the end so that you don't have any regrets," she added more softly. Taro stared at his old friend for a moment then tore his eyes away, unable to hold her gaze. Sayuri let out a deep breath. "Keep them in line or don't, do whatever you want," she said emotionlessly. "I just thought I should I ask." She didn't wait for a reply or reaction as she turned around and made her way home. Why did she always end on notes like this? The girl felt frustrated with herself for such a lack of patience. More so than with herself, though, she was frustrated with everyone else for such low belief in themselves. Was that all they amounted to in life? Being the tough guys in high school? The girl ran a hand through her hair tiredly. She wasn't about to give up. One way or another, she would make these guys take themselves more seriously. A yawn escaped her lips as she reached the door to the Oedo house. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a good night's rest before getting started, though.

* * *

><p>Instead of heading straight for Momogaoka the next morning, Sayuri decided that she could take the day off. Seniors weren't exactly required to come anyway, and she could just use the stress of the exam as an excuse. The girl chose to head toward Kurogin with her Nee-san. Both females carried with them piles of information regarding trade schools and job offers that they had gathered sometime on their own. When Yankumi had seen Sayuri with her pile that morning, she had given the girl a proud smile although she did note how the younger girl's stack was higher than her own. The two of them walked into 3D cheerily after a <em>'fight-oh-OH!'<em>per Yankumi's wishes. The class greeted their teacher with scattered and disconnected oh's and ohayo's when she entered. For Sayuri, they all got up and greeted the girl in a uniform manner. She grinned ear to ear.

"You guys... never act like that for me," Yankumi pouted, amazed at her student's behavior.

"Eh?" Sayuri looked over at the woman. "Don't they do that every morning?"

"They do for you?" the teacher asked almost jealously. The Momo student smiled guiltily and shrugged her shoulders. She looked up to face the class and saw that every one of the five boys in the back held dark expressions. They all stared at each other until Yankumi came forward, making the guys look away. She passed out papers and explained to everyone that there were still some jobs they could apply for or at least look into.

"Look them over," the teacher instructed as Sayuri made a move to help her. "If you find one that you're interested in, ask me about it."

"I told you already," one of the 3D guys said in an exasperated tone. "I want to be a job-hopper."

"It's okay to be a job-hopper," Sayuri said with a smile. "But even they work. We're just telling you to think about what you want to do first as a job-hopper," she explained softly.

"What kind of job... hm...," another boy said in answer. Yankumi butted in to help out.

"Okay, let me ask you. What interests you the most?" the teacher asked. She received cars and motorcycles as an answer and suggested working at a garage to her student. Others in the class also voiced their own interests and received guidance from the older woman. One boy, however, showed a skeptical attitude when Yankumi advised him to become a martial arts teacher, obviously having no faith in his own capabilities.

"Don't give up right from the beginning," Sayuri encouraged from the side. Although Ryu, Hayato, and the others still had grumpy demeanors, they listened closely to the girl. One of them in particular took her words to heart. "You won't know until you try."

"Then, maybe I'll work for a pachinko store," Misawa said excitedly as his friends around him cheered.

Okuma got good-natured hits on the head for his words. "I'd like to work at a family restaurant or fast food restaurant. I can eat every day." Sayuri laughed at this.

"See," Yankumi told the class. "Just thinking about it gives you lots of ideas." The younger girl smiled brighter at her Nee-san's enthusiasm. "It's nothing difficult. The important thing is to work responsibly no matter what kind of job you have, part-time or full-time." Here, the woman gave one of her signature grins, "You must never slack off on your work." She looked to the back of the class and saw that the guys were still acting mopey. Sayuri noted how she sighed but only seemed to gain more determination from this. The girl steeled herself also. Getting these guys to change wasn't bound to be easy.

The next couples days passed in a blur as Sayuri helped Yankumi look for job openings and score interviews for the 3D guys, who began coming to them more open-mindedly with ideas and thoughts. Both females stayed up late at nights looking through directories, magazines and newspapers. The other members of the Oedo family also lent their support. The two went out often to the actual workplaces to personally request the employers for jobs or interviews, pleading and bowing their heads profusely. It was on one such outing that Ryu, Hayato, Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga found Yankumi. Sayuri had been assigned a different workplace with no luck and had decided she would return and help the yakuza heiress with what she could. Two was better than one, wasn't it? She walked up to find the guys standing and watching their teacher from a distance.

"She told us before didn't she?" Ryu said to the others, referring to their teacher's dream.

"She's begging them so much," Hayato merely stated, unable to comprehend why she was.

Take voiced this thought. "Why is she doing so much just for us?"

"What dream?" Tsucchi asked.

Hyuuga added in a worn voice, "There's no use keeping hope in us."

Sayuri stepped forward with an understanding expression. "You guys don't really think that do you?" she questioned in a quiet voice. They all turned to her. The girl knew better this time than to provoke the guys. She wasn't looking for a fight. She would just have to control her temper better, which was what she was asking them to do anyway. "Wanting you all to graduate, find your own paths, be proud... it's not all for nothing, is it?" The five boys stood looking away from their friend, not sure how to face her. The girl just smiled a broken smile then ran up to join the math teacher in bowing her head, refusing to look back at the others. She had no idea when they left, but they were gone by the time she had turned around.

The next morning saw the celebration of Takayama, the first from 3D to receive a job offer. That, however, wasn't all. Sayuri and Yankumi had also managed to persuade Joyful Company to give Tsucchi, Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi another chance, which they informed the boys of. Tsucchi thanked the two and smiled shyly, truly greatful for what they had done.

"We'll pay you back," Hayato said as he walked up to join the group.

"Pay back?" Yankumi asked in a confused tone. Sayuri remained silent as she listened on.

"He means we'll graduate," Ryu explained nonchalantly. His teacher looked up wide-eyed as the Momo student gave a content smile, needing no more words to be said.

"All of us together," Tsucchi continued anyway.

"We don't want it to go the way the Superintendent wants it," Hyuuga added.

"Just watch us," Take said jabbing a finger at his teacher's shoulder. Both females were on the verge of tears.

"We definitely won't fight until we graduate," Hayato declared. He and the rest of the guys held bashful smiles.

"We promise... the both of you," Ryu said, giving Sayuri an intent look which she couldn't hold. The girl smiled despite that, though. She had her friends back. This extra little promise was more than she could have asked for, having not expected it. After the school day ended, the group of six made their way to Cafe de Rovne for the first time in a long time. It felt nice being back and hanging out like this. It felt _right_. Sayuri didn't have enough time to talk and catch up with the guys, though, before she realized that her exam results for Waseda were out today.

"Eh? Hontoni?" Hyuuga asked, still not fully believing that he actually knew someone smart enough to apply to such a school.

"Do you need us to go with you?" Hayato asked the girl readily. Take stood up with a happy smile, all for the idea.

"Eh?" Sayuri breathed out, suddenly feeling panicked. What if she hadn't made it? Well, their support would be nice. She began nodding her head in response then stopped. Did she really want the guys there to see her disappointment? "Iie...," she said unsurely. They would eventually find out if she hadn't gotten in, though. Did she really want to have to tell them herself? "Actually...," Sayuri began before stopping again. No, it would still be better if she went on her own. She was a strong girl anyhow. She could handle it. "You guys just wait here." Her friends all nodded, having been confused by her own little internal battle. They wished the girl luck as they watched her leave to go find out her fate.

Sayuri walked the first half of the distance in anxiety, wringing her hands and fighting her nerves. She eventually broke into a full on sprint as she couldn't take waiting any longer. A horde of high school students stood around a large bulletin board when the girl arrived at the spot. She stopped just at the bulge of the group to collect her bearings before pushing her way through the crowd with ease. Scanning through the list posted quickly, the girl almost missed her number. When she backtracked and saw it, she exulted, jumping up and down, cheering like the teenage girl she was. Sayuri ignored the looks that were tossed her way and ran back to Cafe de Rovne as fast as she could. She had to let the guys know. She wanted them to be the ones to congratulate and celebrate with her first, to see them smile proudly at her accomplishment. Before her brain could tell her that her heart was only focusing on one guy, she had already made it back to the hangout. When she stepped inside, however, the place was empty and the guys missing. All that was left were sprawled out magazines open to job listings and Ochida-san. She turned to face him now. Sayuri wasn't even given the chance to question the owner, though, because someone else had come rushing into the establishment at that moment. The old man gave a face of recognition that caused the girl to exclaim as she turned around.

"Nori-" she stopped halfway. "_Ta-chan?_" The boy was breathing heavily, having obviously run all the way here from who knows where. "Doshita?" the girl asked concerned. He lifted his head with a serious look in his eyes.

"Despite what you may think, I don't have complete control over everyone," Taro said slowly and deliberately. Gauging the boy's expression, Sayuri was able to put two and two together. "The abandoned building behind Todoroki. Tanabe has a lot of men," was all he said. The girl instantly ran out of the cafe as if her life depended on it, heading to where her friends were. "Be careful, Sa-chan," Sayuri thought she heard Taro whisper to himself as the bell signaled the door closing. She didn't have time to worry about that, though. The only thing she allowed to run through her mind was the faces of her five friends who she had just made up with. Wasn't trouble coming a little too soon? They couldn't really be thinking about fighting aga-

"Yuri-chan?" Yankumi called out as she and Sayuri both neared the location.

"Nee-san, what are you doing here?" the younger girl asked only taking a moment's pause. Her question was indirectly answered by the Kurogin teacher's next words.

"Shiratori-sensei!" The two yakuza bred females ran over to the English teacher who was very obviously rattled.

"Yamaguchi-sensei, over there," she pointed to the large group of Todoroki students gathered around the guys, bloodied and bruised. "They won't fight back at all!" Shiratori-sensei shouted in distress. "They didn't try to hit them back even once."

Sayuri paled as she looked towards the guys, "They can't..." Tanabe was going from person to person, hysterically trying to figure out why they weren't fighting back. Sayuri clenched her fists in pure rage. She started forward but was stopped by Yankumi. The older woman gave her a look of warning. "Demo -" she began to argue.

"Do you want to let their efforts go to waste?" she yelled at the girl as tears began forming in her eyes. What was she supposed to do then?

Yankumi turned towards the scene with look of determination. "Don't touch my precious students!" she yelled. "You've done enough."

"Who're you?" Tanabe asked unimpressed.

"Me?" the woman humored the punk. "I'm their homeroom teacher." The Todoroki gang began to laugh at this fact, totally unaware of who she really was. The yakuza heiress began pulling out her pigtails now. "I won't let you lay a finger on them," she said as she took off her glasses and shook her hair out.

"The homeroom teacher here to avenge her students?" Tanabe asked condescendingly.

Yankumi's voice started out soft and ended loud, "Don't kid around!"

The other boy made his way towards her, "You wanna fight?" He hesitated a bit seeing that the female teacher wasn't backing down. As he gave a shout, though, he threw a punch right at her. The second it was released, Sayuri could tell that Yankumi wasn't making a move to dodge it. The girl took one step forward.

"Nee-san." The fist made contact with her face as everyone was stunned. All the guys widened their eyes in shock. The woman slowly raised her head. Sayuri could just imagine the look in her eyes by seeing Tanabe's reaction.

"Why aren't you running away?" he asked a little shaken. He yelled, "Fight back!"

The math teacher began walking forth as Tanabe retreated. "You won't understand why they weren't fighting back," she started out in a quiet but serious voice. "They weren't holding back just to entertain you. They've endured so much," she said as she gained more emotion. "I can't just waste their efforts." Sayuri bit down on her lip, realizing she would have done just that. "Hit me all you want," the yakuza heiress challenged in a tough manner. "But make sure you know what you're doing because I'm prepared for the worst!" Tanabe fell backwards as Yankumi yelled that last part. He looked around and gulped then turned to his group.

"Ikuzo," he told them quietly. They all began to run out at his words. Sayuri took no note of them as she ran towards the guys. She and Yankumi both knelt down in front of them.

"You guys...," the girl choked out. There were wet streaks running down her face. "Are stupid."

"You let them do this to you," Yankumi said in the same tone. Both females surveyed their damages. They all struggled to sit up.

"Yeah, we're stupid," Tsucchi agreed.

"But," Hayato added in a rough voice. "We can't help it."

Ryu sat unmoving in his spot. "We promised you." He had a small heart-breaking smile on his face.

"We're going to graduate," Hyuuga said with anticipation, ignoring his pain.

Take winced a little, "Together with everyone."

"You guys...," The 3D teacher smiled through tears as she looked at the bunch of them. "You guys really are... students I can be proud of." She got up and messed up all their hairs in that affectionate way of hers. The guys were too tired to stop their teacher, or at least that's the excuse they would use. They all made noises of protest as they pretended to be embarrassed. Sayuri laughed at the scene, fine again now that she knew her friends were alright. She looked to every one of them and smiled. These guys sure knew how to make a girl worry.

"Waseda," Ryu said in a breathy voice. Sayuri looked towards him. "How'd it go?" Even after all he had just gone through, he still remembered to worry about her. Sayuri broke into a smile.

"Safe," she said along with the hand gesture. The guys all grinned and congratulated the girl despite their current conditions. Where else could you find friends like these? She walked over to help each one of them up. Yankumi did the same. And where could you find a teacher like that? Sayuri looked over at her Nee-san with a proud smile. This was the greatest group of people she would ever meet.

* * *

><p>The next day was the interview with Joyful Company. All five boys still wore wounds and traces of their encounter with Todoroki. Because of this, Tsucchi wanted to back out, afraid that he might ruin it for the others again. Yankumi told the tall boy to be proud of himself because he did nothing wrong. She said that he should be honest if they asked him about his injuries. All of 3D cheered for their classmates as they sent them off with smiles and well wishes. Sayuri made her way to Kurogin immediately after her classes ended. She still missed seeing Tsucchi, Omori, Kojima, and Hamaguchi off, though.<p>

"_Eh?_" the girl said as she arrived breathing heavily. "I went as fast as I could, too." She frowned, upset with herself.

"Well, it wasn't fast enough," Hayato teased her.

"Urusai," the girl said with a pout. The others all laughed at her expense. Yankumi was the loudest, so everyone turned to look at her when she stopped abruptly.

"I forgot to ask yesterday," she began. "How did you know the guys were there, Yuri-chan?" Shiratori-sensei was the one who informed her, but as far as she was concerned, no one else could have known. In the heat of the moment, the question had slipped her mind.

"You guys didn't come together?" Hyuuga asked curiously from the side. That's what they had all thought. Sayuri's expression softened.

"Taro," she uttered the name like it explained everything. "Ta-chan came and told me." The Haiirokin group all looked at one another meaningfully.

"Why would he...," Hayato started to ask in confusion.

"Because he still cares," Ryu answered knowingly. He looked to Sayuri who was unconsciously nodding her head at his words.

"That guy" Take said to himself as a smile formed on his lips. No matter what had happened between them, in the end, they were all still friends.

Yankumi and Hyuuga seemed to not understand what the others were talking about. Before they could have things explain to them, though, Washio (the Japanese teacher) came running into the classroom. "Yamaguchi-sensei!" he said in that annoyingly shrill voice of his. He looked around, nervous to be in 3D. "The Superintendent wants to see you in his office." The man was about to bolt out of the class, but he caught sight of Sayuri and almost had a heart attack. "Anata!" The young girl was dragged along to the teacher's room with a helpless Yankumi since, apparently, it was such a _huge crime_for a girl to be at Kurogin. Weren't they going co-ed next year anyway?

The three of then entered the Superintendent's office all in a different manner. Washio was very cautious of his movements while Yankumi came in solemnly like a student expecting to get in trouble. Sayuri waltzed into the room carelessly with a bored expression. The girl didn't feel like humoring these so called _'educators'_who never seemed to cut 3D any slack. She looked away as the man in charge began talking.

"I asked you to bring one person," the Superintendent said in a tone full of faux friendliness. Sayuri thought maybe it had become that way permanently through overuse. "But you come back with two." He addressed the girl next. "And who might you be?"

"Wakamatsu Sayuri," she answered in a haughty voice. "Yoroshiku." The smile on the man's face faded as he took in her tone and attitude. The Vice Principal's face, however, seemed to light up at the name. Sayuri had been the signature used by the sender of his Valentine's Day chocolate.

"Omai... _Valentine's chocolate_...?" he asked with a creepy smile. All eyes turned to him questioningly.

The Momo student backed away a little and leaned in closer to her Nee-san. "Nani sore?" she whispered to the side with her arms crossed over her chest. The older woman titled her head in confusion.

"I found her trespassing," Washio spoke up. "She was in 3D's class." The Superintendent made a face as if that explained everything. The Vice Principal was more clueless.

"You even snuck into the school to see me?" he said shaking his head with a sigh. Monkeyface (as the guys often referred to him) walked over and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders. "_Sayuri-chan_," he said in a patronizing voice. She raised her eyebrow at this. "Not only am I married, I'm too old for you... It just can't be," his face was completely serious. Sayuri's mouth hung open in disbelief at his words. The others also watched on in shock. "What you're doing is very inappropriate," he reprimanded then added to the side as he turned around. "Man, you should have at least signed a fake name."

The young girl scoffed as she recovered herself. "Anno sa," she called out. The Vice Principal faced her with a pitying look on his face. She nodded her head towards the faculty room, "That teacher out there is also named Sayuri, isn't she?" The adults in the room all looked out. As if on cue, Wanibuchi-sensei, the music teacher, looked up and inside the office as if searching for someone. The younger of the Sayuri's had noticed the name plate on the teacher's desk when she had first walked in. Being observant and paying attention to detail made for good lawyers.

The Vice Principal snapped back, blinking away his shock. His boss coughed and grabbed some files, pretending as if he just hadn't witnessed the weird scene he obviously had. Yankumi looked around the room awkwardly, unsure of how to redeem this situation. "Anno, you had to speak with me, ne?" she addressed the Superintendent. The Vice Principal took this chance to pass the attention off.

"Yamaguchi-sensei, what are you thinking?" he yelled. "Sending him for an interview with a bruised face. You really have a lack of common sense!" he continued, referring to Tsucchi. Sayuri's face darkened at this. Now she didn't have to feel bad for acting rude to these men.

"This will hurt our school's honor," the Superintendent said calmly from his desk, not even caring to consider what it means to the students. Yeah, she _definitely_didn't have to feel bad.

"Tsuchiya didn't do anything shameful," Yankumi answered surely. She stared down her boss as he looked up from his papers.

"Well, we'll be rid of them after March," the man said taking off his glasses. "The 3D students... as well as you." He had that fake smile plastered on his face again. "_You_," he turned to the young girl. "We can get rid of right now." Sayuri would have fired something back except she knew that it wouldn't help hers or Yankumi's situation at all. Besides, everyone had just learned their lesson on self-control. She was saved by Washio coming back into the room (although no one had really known that he left). He was informing the Superintendent about the arrival of someone from the board of directors who the man referred to as Matsubara-sama.

Following everyone out of the office, Sayuri could hear the other teachers all gossiping not-so-quietly. Apparently, this woman was very wealthy and would be financing the school big time. Her grandchild was also reportedly supposed to start attending Kurogin come April. The entire faculty bowed as the Superintendent thanked Matsubara-sama for her time. This gave Sayuri and Yankumi a chance to see the woman clearly.

"Obaa-chan!" they exclaimed simultaneously. This was the elderly woman they had helped a few days ago on the bus with Kujo-sensei. The shock at seeing her here showed on both their faces. She seemed genuinely pleased to see the two girls, though, pressing to see if it would be possible for Yankumi to take her grandchild in her class next school year. Of course, the Superintendent couldn't refuse the academy's largest benefactor. The yakuza heiress exulted in keeping her job as Shiratori-sensei and Baba-sensei rushed to congratulate her.

"Anata," Matsubara-sama addressed Sayuri next. "Isn't this an all boy's school?" her tone was kind as she asked the rhetorical question. The Superintendent jumped at the opportunity to fulfill at least one of the things he planned.

"I was just about to kick her -"

"I'm a senior at Momogaoka," the young girl explained, cutting the man off. "My friends still have to attend full days so I visit them once I'm done." The elderly woman smiled as she nodded her head in understanding.

"Ii na," she said. "Kurogin must have very good relations with other schools. Sayuri strained a smile at this comment. Matsubara-sama _obviously_wasn't as well informed about the school she financed as she should have been. Still, the girl was grateful for this fact. "You shouldn't have to kick out such a nice girl, Kurokawa-san. It's their last year as high schoolers." The Superintendent's face struggled to stay composed as he listened to the woman. "You're going co-ed next year anyway."

"H-hai," he answered submissively.

Sayuri walked over to her Nee-san with a huge smile, high-fiving her secretly like a little kid. She turned around to face Matsubara-sama. "Arigatou gozaimasu," she bowed politely. Now the Momo student didn't have to sneak around 3D's class like some kind of burglar. When things get good, they get great, don't they? Sayuri smiled to herself. Everything was starting to look up. All that was left to do was to get to the root of the Taro and Noriko problems. She thought back to yesterday and what she thought she had heard the boy say as she was leaving Café de Rovne. Maybe things weren't completely hopeless with those two. Ochida-san also seemed completely willing to help. Well, she'd never know if she didn't try, ne?

* * *

><p>Was the story too all over the place? Sorry that you guys will need to wait so long for the next chapter to come out, but I promise that it'll be good, so please keep reading! Anyway, leave me a review and tell me what you think? ;]<p> 


	12. Chapter 11: Baka Ja Nai No?

**A/N:** So this one obviously took _**A LOT**_ longer than promised. Gomen nasai! Hontoni gomen nasai! I know I said I'd be able to commit last summer, but that obviously didn't work out. I just keep making empty promises; I don't know what else to say. Sorry :/ Anyway, I just want to thank everyone that favorited and stuck with this story even with such a _**bad, horrible, terrible, sorry-excuse-for-an-author**_**.** I'll try super hard to update again as soon as I can... I just don't really know when that'll be :/ Thanks again to everyone though!

**KuroYume:** Thanks for the review! Even though I'm replying/updating so late, I think this chapter should answer some main questions ^^ Things are going to be picking up from here on out.

**Lady Syndra:** Ah, thank you so much and sorry! Your comment(s) really helped to kick me into gear. This chapter totally did not come soon like you asked but I still hope you like it!

**Slytherin Studios:** Thank you for commenting and supporting! Enjoy!

**P.S.** I realized I wrote that the Japanese-language teacher's name was Washio for the last chapter... and that's totally not his name at all. It's Inuzuka. Washio was the name of the Japanese teacher in Season 1 of Gokusen. I guess the title of this chapter could apply to me, ne? .

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Baka Ja Nai No?<strong>

It was just any other normal day in the world. A quiet day. A calm day. The kind of day that follows a period of unrest and hints at an oncoming one. The Kurogin guys and Momogaoka girls obviously didn't sense this, though. School had gotten out, and they were all at Café de Rovne, goofing off and just hanging around as per usual. They were all scattered about, mingling and having fun inside the establishment. A game of charades was going on as Hayato tried to impersonate some celebrity that the others had to guess. Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga had no luck while Maki and Naomi only seemed to throw out the names of idol boys they liked rather than actual guesses. In their defense, however, Hayato really sucked at the game. He was standing up in front striking some questionable poses that didn't really make any sense at all. Sayuri and Ryu weren't really participating (to no one's surprise), and the quiet Aiko was just watching from the sidelines and laughing.

"Downtown!" Hyuuga named the comedy duo as he jumped up from his seat.

"Wait, that's two people," Take said looking at his friend.

The boy remained unfazed and amended, "Hamada!"

"Matsumoto!" Tsucchi guessed the other male.

Hearing that name, Naomi's inner fangirl was triggered, "MatsuJun!"

"YamaPi!" Maki yelled as girlish giggles followed.

"Takakura Ken!"

Everyone grew silent as they all turned to stare at the person who had shouted that last name. Yankumi looked up obliviously, having seemingly been there for a while. "Don't tell me you guys don't know who he is." She sighed to herself taking in the clueless expressions of the others. Sayuri sat back in her seat and tried to stifle her laughter as her friends continued to stare. Nee-san's infatuation with Takakura Ken and yakuza films was really something. Well, growing up on these types of movies herself, the younger girl could empathize somewhat with the woman. "He's – "

"We don't care," Ryu deadpanned.

"Why are you even here?" Hayato asked in exasperation. The math teacher really did have a knack for popping up unexpectedly around them.

"To bond with my precious students," she answered smiling brightly without skipping a beat. The guys all turned away from her as if she hadn't even spoken. The older woman pouted slightly. She opened her mouth to protest or make some sort of rebuttal but was interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

Everyone turned their eyes to Naomi as she smiled guiltily and shrugged her shoulders. "Gomen," she held up a hand sheepishly. The light-haired girl reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out her phone. One look at the caller and her face paled ever-so-slightly. She quickly turned off her phone and put it away. Naomi raised her head and strained to smile at everyone, "It wasn't anything important." Sayuri noted all this with some curiosity, but she wasn't able to push the point.

"Let's go back to the game then," Hayato interjected. "Any more guesses?" He looked around at everyone.

Maki turned to Aiko, "Don't just sit there and laugh, Ai-chan." The girl turned a slight pink. "Any ideas?" Aiko bit down on her lip.

"Akanishi Jin...?"

Another fit of squealing ensued as Maki and Naomi started into a giggle fest about KAT-TUN. The guys could only stand by and watch as this incomprehensible yet fascinating occurrence of nature called fangirling unfolded. "He's my favorite!" Naomi said dreamily.

"Demo yappari," Maki said sitting back down. "I like Kame better."

"Eh, sou?" Naomi responded. "What about Ai-chan?" The calmer girl smiled and gave her shoulders a shrug, indicating that she wasn't quite sure.

Maki turned her attention away. "Yuri-chan?" she directed at the other girl. Sayuri looked up for the first time since the game started.

"Who are they?" she asked in a tone that unintentionally came off as innocent and naïve. Everyone turned to her with various looks of shock and astonishment. Ryu smirked openly from his seat. Not many girls were this slow regarding the entertainment scene, but Sayuri would definitely be one of the ones that _was_.

"Eh?!" everyone exclaimed collectively.

"Uso," Naomi said practically to herself.

"Yuri-chan…," Hyuuga began.

"Do you really not know?" Tsucchi finished. Even all the guys knew about which groups were in or not. Sayuri sat back in her seat, still very much confused.

"You're kidding," Hayato said. Take, Maki, and Aiko all shook their heads sympathetically at their friend – an act that had the girl feeling slightly irritated.

"**K**amenashi Kazuya, **A**kanishi Jin, **T**aguchi Junnosuke, **T**anaka Koki, **U**eda Tatsuya, and **N**akamaru Yuichi," Yankumi listed from the side in an impressive manner. "**KAT-TUN**." The high-schoolers all stood with their mouths parted, gaping at the pig-tailed woman. More surprising than Sayuri not knowing about KAT-TUN was _Yankumi_ actually knowing them. She never knew anything unless it was yakuza-related. She barely even knew math despite possessing a teaching degree for the subject. It was with these thoughts in mind that Sayuri leaned forward – hand on knee – and posed her next question.

"Is that the new rival clan (_gumi_)?" The attention of everyone in the room was once again drawn back to the dark-haired girl as she realized her slip-up. She really was starting to pick up on the yakuza speech from everyone at the Oedo household. It was starting to become a bad habit.

"Rival clan?" the others repeated.

"E-eto," she struggled as both Ryu and Hayato looked away, unable to help salvage the situation or at least unable to watch. Yankumi was at least trying to help by waving her arms and motioning signals, but Sayuri couldn't decipher or comprehend any of it. "I was saying... is that the new rival... _Kumi_-nee?" a nervous laugh followed as she looked around at her friends. "Heh heh. You know how you guys go around causing trouble," she babbled on taking a sip from her drink and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Lying was never really the girl's strong suit. Her dense friends all seemed to buy it, though. She let out a small sigh of relief.

"Well they're not whatever you seem to think they are," Naomi explained in a voice that made Sayuri feel a little dumb. "Demo daijobu," the spirited girl chirped in that lively way of hers. "We're here to enlighten you." Sayuri cautiously raised an eyebrow at this comment.

"Yay?" she said in an uncertain voice. The dark-haired girl really didn't know if she was expected to be enthusiastic about this, but she did know that she felt a little fearful.

As if on cue, both Maki and Naomi whipped their school bags onto the table. Instead of pulling out textbooks or anything school-related or educational, the girls pulled out the latest issues of various gossip and fashion magazines. You would think that they had raided the teen section of a newsstand – which Sayuri didn't exactly doubt they had. The next hour or so was dedicated to trying to explain to Sayuri about the various music groups and actors that were in at the moment and even a few of those that weren't. The girls made it a point to rate each person and show a photo for the other girl's benefit. The guys even threw in their own comments and opinions here and there. When Sayuri's knowledge reached a somewhat acceptable level (to her friends' standards), Maki and Naomi placed two photos of Akanishi Jin and Kamenashi Kazuya side by side on the table.

"_So_...," Maki prompted inquisitively. Sayuri pursed her lips as she thought over the two prospects.

"Which one is it?" Naomi demanded impatiently. Her dark-haired friend suddenly looked up.

"Ne," she began in an unsure voice that slowly became steady. "Don't they kind of look like Hayato and Ryu?"

"Eh?" everyone exclaimed as the two Kurogin leaders looked towards their childhood friend with eyebrows raised. Hayato quickly gained a cocky smirk, though, taking the unintended compliment to his head.

"Sou?" he tried to say coolly. "Demo na, don't I look better?" the conceited boy confidently placed his hand under his chin. Ryu simply shook his head at his friend. Despite everyone else scoffing and laughing at Hayato's arrogance, it was evident that they could see what Sayuri was getting at: Hayato resembled Akanishi Jin while Ryu resembled Kamenashi Kazuya. Now Aiko's guess for the game of charades (which apparently everyone had forgotten about) didn't seem so far off.

"Maa," Take said nodding his head. "Now that you say it… they _do_ look similar." The others all nodded their heads in agreement also.

"Just a little though," Naomi relented. She still remained defiant, not willing to so easily normalize these two celebrities she had already immortalized.

"A little?" Sayuri said head tilted and ready to argue her point, but Ryu cut in calmly from his seat before she could.

"So," he started, all eyes turning to him. "Which is it then?" Hayato's eyes turned slightly serious as he caught on to Ryu's intent. "Between the two idol boys," he clarified in an attempt to divert the attention of the slower people present.

"Eh?" Sayuri said to herself, clearly being one of those people. She was quickly deep in thought about who to pick once again. "Dare…?" the girl asked herself as she looked back at the photos and bit her lip trying to decide. Ryu and Hayato unconsciously sat on the edge of their seats awaiting her answer. "Since this is _just_ about looks...," Sayuri said pointing to the picture of Akanishi Jin as she looked up with an innocent smile. Hayato matched it with his own childish grin. Ryu slightly cleared his throat and looked away coolly. Naomi stuck her tongue out towards Maki in a gesture that said _'I win'_. The others all just nodded their heads at Sayuri's choice. "... I guess," the dark-haired girl added as an afterthought. "It's hard to choose really." She gave a frustrated pout that had Ryu smiling fondly despite himself. Hayato continued to remain unfazed by her comment as he continued his own little internal celebration over finally being picked over his best friend – even if it was only indirectly.

As Maki and Naomi began to argue over their respective idols pulling Aiko in with them, the guys also began conversing about which boy looked like he could fight better or at least last longer hanging with them. The place almost instantly filled with chatter. Sayuri smiled affectionately at her group of friends. She looked around, expecting to catch sight of Yankumi doing the same, but it seemed as if the older woman had already disappeared. Evidently, she wanted to go in the same manner as she had come: without anyone knowing. Sayuri mentally kicked herself for this lapse in perceptiveness. (It was happening too often for her liking lately.) Unable to keep up with either of the conversations going on, she chose instead to walk over to the counter where Ochida-san was stoically working away.

"Has Nori-chan still not come by?" she asked the man although she already knew the answer. It was always the same. Ochida-san gave a regretful shake of his head. "Sou...," Sayuri said to herself. Despite her previous resolve, fixing things with Noriko was proving to be harder than planned. She had been coming here every day since the whole Joyful Company incident hoping to catch the other girl, but the two hadn't met even once since their brief and curt reunion. As for Ta-chan, she hadn't seen him since… "Anno ne," Sayuri began. "That boy that came in the other time, it seemed like you knew him." The dark-haired girl thought back to when Taro had rushed into Café de Rovne and the look of recognition the owner had gotten. She had been putting off asking the man for a while now.

"Eh?" he questioned for a moment. "Ah, Takagi-kun?" Sayuri perked up at the name and the familiarity with which it was said. "He and Noriko are close friends. They seem to have known each other from way back." Sayuri's brows furrowed together for a moment as she processed this, considering what it could possibly mean. A small sigh quickly followed. So, the two people that have been avoiding her have actually been in contact with each other this whole time? _Figures_.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she thanked Ochida-san for the information with a smile. He returned it before turning away to continue with his work.

"So, what'll you do now?" the question popped up from Sayuri's left but failed to startle her. Ryu internally pouted at this. What did he expect from the girl anyway? She was clearly more than experienced at these kinds of things, having to deal with Yankumi and all.

Sayuri looked over at her friend with an almost helpless look. "What should I do, Ryu?" The quiet boy smiled softly at her.

"Handle it in that Sayuri-style of yours," he said in a voice full of unwavering belief. "Keep trying stubbornly to show them how you feel, and you'll get through to them eventually." The smaller girl looked towards her friend for a moment then broke into a heartwarming smile. Ryu bashfully looked away from her. "Taro will definitely come around," he said as reassurance.

"Yeah, especially now that _you're_ back," Hayato muttered as he walked over to the other two, having obviously eavesdropped on their little conversation. Hearing the quiet comment, Ryu smirked bitterly. He had just been thinking the same thought himself.

"Eh? Nani?" Sayuri questioned cluelessly. Despite passing the exam for Waseda, there was so much that she was still ignorant about.

"Nandemo nai," the two Kurogin leaders answered in sync. Sayuri merely pursed her lips and pouted at them.

"Anno ne," Hayato spoke up in a serious tone. "If you go talk to him again, I want to be there." Ryu cast a curious look towards the louder boy. He couldn't possibly be trying to stake claim on Sayuri without having even made a move himself yet. "After what he did for us, I can't abandon him now," Hayato took a deep breath then smiled. "Aren't we comrades or something?" His two companions broke into bright grins of their own at his familiar words.

"We're more than that," Ryu said. Although he had said it softly, there was so much authority in the words.

"Lifelong friends," Sayuri added with a little exaggeration, knowing full well how cheesy the words were but meaning them nonetheless. "Demo," the smaller girl began with a strained smile. "I think I should do this on my own..." She thought back to what the guys had told her about how Taro believed that it was his fault that she had left Tokyo. If that's true, then they really had a lot to talk about. Ryu and Hayato thought back to the same thing themselves. Although they were both curious, neither of them wanted to push Sayuri – or Taro for that matter. They only nodded their heads in understanding. The Momo girl smiled warmly back at them before returning to the others. The girls still seemed to be arguing amongst themselves about boy bands while the guys had already progressed onto the foosball table. The three former Haiirokin leaders all moved to join their respective gender groups just like that. They put on smiles as they hung out with their friends who were present, but their hearts and minds were thinking to those who weren't.

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><p>"Yuri-chan!"<p>

The call had come from Naomi as she ran up to her friend. The group had already dispersed some time ago, and everyone had headed on home in their own separate ways. Sayuri was walking along by herself when Naomi caught up to her. The light-haired girl held a flushed face as she bent over to catch her breathe. "Doshita?" Sayuri asked worriedly after her.

"I… needed… to talk… to you," she said between breathes. The dark-haired girl gave her head a quick nod, not quite understanding but reacting right away. The two girls relocated to a nearby food stand so they could sit and talk. Naomi was able to quickly calm her breathing, but she remained silent for a while, biting her lip out of hesitation. This was nowhere near her usual behavior, and Sayuri noted this with some worry.

"Nani? What's wrong, Naomi-chan?" she asked concerned. Naomi sat there looking at her friend, trying to figure out how best to phrase what she was trying to say. Sayuri suddenly remembered the call her friend had received early and wondered if it was connected to this. She asked the girl just as much.

"Anno sa… actually, that call was from Takagi-kun. He's been calling me a lot lately…," she trailed off. Sayuri immediately pounced on the words she heard, though, freaking out about what this could mean. "Don't worry," Naomi replied quickly, seeing her friend's reaction and holding up her hands in defense. "I haven't talked to him since I told you that we ended it," she assured the girl who was so evidently worried. "It's just… I don't really know what I should do now." The light-haired girl sounded so lost, as she confessed this. She obviously was not used to being the one to request help from others, but she recalled all the events that occurred between Kurogin and Todoroki and Sayuri's particular concern in this matter. Who better to ask for help from?

The eldest Wakamatsu girl gave her a reassuring smile. "Thanks for telling me this, Naomi-chan. I'll take care of it," she began, taking this as an opportunity to also resolve her issues with Taro. Naomi, however, immediately shot this plan down, shaking her head forcefully.

"I'm a part of this too. Whatever you decide, we should do it together," the determined girl flashed a stubborn smile. Sayuri let out a small sigh and shook her head, but a smile crept onto her face also. This was why they got along so well – they were so much alike.

"Wakatta," she answered after a pause. "Demo, things could get ugly so you have to listen to what I tell you." Naomi nodded her head in understanding as Sayuri took in a deep breath to clear her own. "For now, we'll wait and see if he calls again," the dark-haired girl said slowly. She was clearly making things up as she went, but Naomi didn't seem to notice. "If he does, don't answer and call me right away, ne? We'll go… _talk_ things out with him. Don't try to do anything by yourself, though, alright?" Sayuri made sure to stress this point.

"Hai hai, I wouldn't have told you if I was going to do that," Naomi answered, playfully flicking her friend in the forehead. "Stop stressing out so much or you'll mess up your pretty face." Both girls laughed at this. As their laughter began to die out, Naomi's face gained more seriousness. "Demo…," she began. Still smiling, Sayuri turned her full attention towards the light-haired girl. "How exactly do you know Takagi-kun? 'Close' doesn't seem like the right word, but it looks like you know him pretty well," she said carefully. She had actually suppressing her curiosity over this matter for quite some time now.

Sayuri's smile fell ever so slightly. She gained a wistful air about her. "I wouldn't even say I know that guy well… but thanks to him I met a really good friend," the yakuza-bred girl replied softly. Naomi cocked an eyebrow, prodding for more information. "Ta-chan… his younger cousin. He went to Haiirokin with me and the guys," the dark-haired girl clarified. She let out a reminiscent laugh, "We were our own little gang back then, running around causing trouble and starting fights… Maa, I guess things haven't changed that much now. We're all just…" Sayuri stared down at her hands and bit her lip, searching for an accurate description, "Disconnected… as much as I hate that thought." She looked up at her friend with a sad expression. Naomi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"… Is he cute?" she asked in a somber tone. The two Momo students made eye contact and busted out laughing at this. Sayuri playfully pushed her friend. "Hontoni," Naomi said as she was still giggling. "It sounds like you really like him."

The laughter stopped abruptly, but Sayuri smiled kindly, "Iie. Taro…," she struggled to phrase her feelings. "He means to me what you all mean to me."

Naomi nodded her head patronizingly. "Mhmm, and who do you mean by _'you all'_?"

"You, Maki-chan, Ai-chan, the guys…," Sayuri answered slightly confused.

"And does he mean more like us or more like the guys to you?" the light-haired girl questioned as if she were a psychiatrist and Sayuri her _very_ unwilling patient.

"Well, he _is_ a guy…," her friend answered guardedly.

"And which guy is he most like?" she continued.

"Eh?"

"Hyuuga-kun? Or Tsuchiya-kun? Or Takeda-kun? Or…?" Naomi said all of this slowly as she carefully eyed Sayuri. She suddenly jumped up from her seat and pounced on her friend, successfully scaring her a bit in the process. "Who were you thinking of just now?!"

Sayuri's eyes widened when she realized what Naomi was trying to do. "N-na-nani?" she stuttered. "I don't know what you're talking about… I wasn't thinking about anyone!"

Her light-haired friend sat back down with a triumphant smirk. "Iie, you definitely thought of a name just now. And that, Yuri-chan, is the answer to _your_ current problems." Sayuri looked up with lost and confused eyes. "Consider this an early thank you for helping me out," Naomi smiled brightly and gave her companion a hearty pat on the back. She caught a look at her watch, though, and gasped at the time. "I'll let you think on all this, but for now, it's time for goodbye," the lively girl said with all added dramatics. Sayuri wondered if it was alright for the girl to be walking around by herself given the circumstances, though. "Daijobu. Scream, knee to groin, run… I've seen it in dramas," she assured dismissively, grabbing her worried friend's face, kissing her head then running off while she waved goodbye back. Sayuri just sat in her seat and laughed at the other girl's antics as she shook her head. Her thoughts, however, quickly shifted from Naomi's actions to her words.

'_What does she mean by my current problems?_' the clueless girl wondered to herself, completely in denial about it all. She sighed then got up to begin her own way home as well. As she walked along the streets, though, Sayuri still couldn't shake the thoughts from her head. '_I definitely wasn't thinking of anyone… definitely…,_' she chanted the mantra to herself. The Momo student was so lost in her own world that she wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her. She blindly walked forward, bumping into someone ahead. "Ah, sumimasen!" she apologized profusely with her head bowed. On raising it, however, her eyes widened in shock. "Noriko…"

Said girl now looked up in shock, "Yuri…" At the familiarity, Sayuri dared a small smile. Noriko caught herself, though, and turned her head away abashedly. Her smile faltered ever so slightly, but the dark-haired girl remained adamant.

"Sashiburi," she greeted a little timidly. "Genki?" genuine concern laced her voice causing Noriko to look up despite herself. Her brows furrowed together, almost as if they were saying that she didn't know what she was supposed to be feeling. Sayuri took an unconscious step forward, reaching out to comfort her friend. "I – " she tried to continue on but was cut off. The brown-haired girl had quickly turned on her heels and was hurrying away. This time, however, Sayuri would not let her leave. She ran forward and jumped in front of the girl, blocking her path. "Chotto matte! Onegai! We need to talk," her voice was practically pleading. "_Nori-chan_…"

* * *

><p><em>It was some time near the end of April. The cherry blossoms that year had not stopped blooming. Just about everything seemed to be covered in pink petals. The new school year had been in session for weeks now. Fortunately, Sayuri and the guys had been able to stay together as they moved onto their third year at Haiirokin Elementary School. It went without saying that they ruled this class also – they pretty much had control over the entire school actually, but the sempai needed to keep face so it was never really made official. The day started off normally. The class was talking loudly as usual; the boys goofing off, the girls gossiping and whatnot. Sayuri observed everyone as per her personality, laughing once in a while because her friends were being their stupid selves yet again. The small girl found herself unable to hold onto her smile for long, though. It had been like this for a while now. She found her gaze wandering off towards the other girls in the class. They sat far up front and to the sides in groups close together, talking and giggling with one another, making Sayuri burn with jealousy without even realizing it. It's not like the dark-haired girl was getting tired of hanging out with the guys all the time or anything. She always felt comfortable and at ease with them. It was just that she yearned to have another girl in their secluded, little group – someone she could hold a meaningful conversation with about the cute, new Hello Kitty pencil case Okaa-san just got her for the start of the school year or about how the new season of Sailor Moon started airing a while ago and is totally <em>not_ as good as the one before it. Boys just don't get that kind of stuff. These were the types of thoughts that were going through Sayuri's mind when Sensei walked in that morning with a girl around their age trailing behind her._

_The class almost immediately quieted down and eagerly focused their attention to the front of the room. There were excited whispers throughout as everyone began to wonder who the new girl was and if she was going to be a part of the class from now on. Despite all the hopes Sayuri secretly held onto for a female companion, she only looked up to note that the girl was relatively pretty. She had already resigned herself to forever be stuck in the company of loud, obnoxious boys. It seemed to be a yakuza thing since that's how it always was at home and any time she had gone out with her father… except that the boys were a lot louder, a lot bigger, and a lot hairier than her friends were. They also had a lot of pictures drawn on their skin and they carried around a lot of pipes and wrenches and – Well, that's not really the point._

"_Minna, listen up," Sensei started as the whispers began to cease. "This is Ochida Noriko-chan. She's just transferred to Haiirokin and will be a part of 3B starting today. Look after her, okay?" The older woman said smiling and gave the smaller girl a nudge encouraging her to give a little introduction._

"_H-hai. Hajimemashite, Ochida Noriko desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Noriko said in a small voice as she gave a slight bow, clearly not liking all the attention that was being focused on her. _

_The class gave the obligatory round of applause as the teacher directed the girl to an empty seat. Said seat, however, just so happened to be right in front of Sayuri. It reminded the dark-haired girl of the first day of first grade with Taro. Yet again, the teacher was placing a kid in front of Sayuri, giving her the perfect opportunity to make another friend. You might think that maybe fate somehow had a hand in this, but, in reality, the rest of the class (excluding Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Taro of course) just wasn't comfortable enough to sit anywhere near the tough girl. Her entire group was situated in the back of the classroom, Sayuri in the middle with Hayato and Taro on either side of her. In front of all the guys were other boys in the class who weren't exactly averse to sitting so close to the school's leading crew, but it wasn't as if they ever turned around for a pleasant afternoon chat either. It was like everyone had a badass radar that told them when they were all in the presence of too much awesomeness they couldn't handle it and needed to stay away… or at least that's what Sayuri always used to comfort herself. As Noriko sat down, the others in the class started up their whisperings again. Some of it even reached all the way to the back of the room._

"_Daijobu?" one girl worried to another. "She doesn't know anything about the school yet and we're making her sit around Wakamatsu-san."_

"_Dayo ne? What if she makes a mistake or something?"_

"_Demo," a boy said, cutting in. "Wakamatsu-chan isn't the type to blow up over something like that, ne?"_

"_Tashika ni. They might even actually become friends…"_

"_Tabun. Demo… that's pretty unfair."_

"_Deshou? She'll be hanging close around Haya-kun and the others."_

"_Sou! Wakamatsu-san is one thing, but this girl just came here."_

"_Tch, who does she even think she is?"_

_Noriko began to shift uncomfortably in her seat as she listened to those around. This was why she hated drawing attention to herself. Her shoulders were hunched, head bowed, eyes boring into the desktop. Sayuri began to feel an uncomfortable pang welling up inside her chest that Nee-san had taught her meant she was feeling the need to right an injustice going on around her. Yosh, there's no helping it. She'll just have to –_

"_Sensei!" Ryu called out with his hand raised. "Isn't the moral of this story: 'treat others the way you want to be treated… or deal with the wrath of a cruel, third-grade banchou'?" With a quick peak towards the aforementioned banchou, the group that had been whispering up until then immediately quieted, embarrassedly looking forward. Noriko looked towards the boy in appreciation, but he was still looking towards the teacher._

"_E-ehhh, Odagiri-kun," she began shakily, straining a smile. "Anno, we're learning _math_ right now… Demo… I don't believe there is such a saying…" Her eyebrows knit together both in confusion and in concern._

"_Ah sou," was all Ryu said in reply, sitting back in his seat as if nothing had happened. He and Sayuri made eye contact, though, and she gave him a huge smile. She could always count on Ryu to take care of things without prompting. His sense of justice definitely didn't lose to hers. The silent boy just smiled back – justice not exactly having been the _only_ thing on his mind._

"_Ne, Nori-chan," the two girls turned their heads to look at the source of the entreaty. Hayato was smiling a rare smile, not full of mischief but of reassurance. "Don't worry about it. Some people here just like to talk too much," he had said it soft enough to go unnoticed by the teacher but loud enough so that Sayuri and Ryu could hear. Noriko blushed at the nickname, but she merely bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and gave Hayato a grateful nod. Sayuri also turned and gave the boy an appreciative smile as he held a thumbs up to her. She held up her own in response. "Ore wa kakkoii, ne?" the conceited boy mouthed in an attempt to impress the girl further. It had the opposite effect, instantly turning Sayuri's thumbs up into a thumbs down with an added Nose Wrinkle of Distaste. From the other side of Hayato, Ryu let out a quiet laugh as he shook his head at his friend._

_The small girl turned her attention back to the other small girl in front of her. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and tapped Noriko on the shoulder. The new girl hesitantly turned around. "If someone bothers you, you can let me know anytime," Sayuri said with a warm smile. "Especially if it's any of these guys," she added jokingly, gesturing to all four of her friends who nodded their heads in greeting. _

_Noriko sat there blankly for a moment. She was never really good at socializing or making friends. That was one of the reasons why she had initially been so nervous about transferring here and having to start over again. What had happened just now with the murmured undertones and cutting remarks was enough to convince Noriko that she would forever be an outcast in this scary, new school… but here were people she had met for the first time standing up for her and reaching out, trying to talk to her. It was such a rare occurrence that the shy girl didn't know how to react._

_The dark-haired girl also took pause, unsure of how to continue on in this silence. She then held out a tentative hand. "E-eto, Wakamatsu Sayuri desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," she properly introduced herself quietly._

_Noriko sat still for another short moment. Despite whatever fears one may hold, the girl knew you had to put in effort for any sort of friendship with anyone to begin. "A-an-anno…," she started off uncertainly, looking anywhere just to avoid eye contact. Her gaze landed on something on the other girl's desk. She unconsciously stood up from her seat. "Y-your pencil case…," she said as everyone turned to her direction. _

"_Ochida-chan?" Sensei asked startled. "Nan desu ka?"_

"_Hontoni kawaii desu!" the girl exclaimed. She quickly bowed her head – face red, eyes closed – mortified at her own stupid attempt at girl bonding. Noriko was contemplating running out of class right then and there when something caused her to look up. Sayuri was barely hanging onto her seat, laughing wholeheartedly with the brightest smile the other girl had ever seen. The rest of the class joined in (albeit a few were snickering rather than laughing) while Sensei just gave another confused smile. Noriko turned even redder and made a move to bolt out of the room. _

"_We're gonna be great friends!" the still laughing Sayuri announced, grinning ear to ear. The other laughter died out as Noriko slowly turned back around to face the girl, who's beaming expression did not waver. Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Taro all turned towards their friend, genuinely adoring smiles on their faces._

_A smile creeping onto her own face, Noriko replied, "Hai!"_

* * *

><p>Taro was walking alone down the street with his hands stuffed into his blazer pockets. It was one of those rare occasions where the Todoroki guys actually gave him some space to breathe instead of constantly following him around like a bunch of lost puppies… you know, if puppies were savage, bloodthirsty little creatures who bit and tore apart any and everything that came across their path. <em>Especially<em> if those things wore a Kurogin uniform. Just look at what happened to – Taro shook his head. He didn't want to be thinking about what had happened last week with Tanabe. It was neither his fault nor his problem, and he had told Sa-chan as much. Taro normally never got involved in these types of situations, so just even informing the smaller girl of where the guys were was doing a lot for him. The dark-haired boy couldn't help but wonder why he had broken his own personal rule, though. Sure, they were his childhood friends, but he had long ago vowed to break ties with them. Nothing had really changed since, with the exception of Sa-chan's sudden reappearance of course. _'Sa-chan…,'_ the boy thought wistfully. No. He couldn't afford to start reminiscing now. Reminiscing leads to missing, and missing leads to hoping for reconciliation or some sort of possible future. If Taro was sure of one thing, it was that there was no going back for him. There was only going forward, and, tonight, going forward meant going to meet Noriko. The two of them hadn't talked in a while, and he sure as hell hadn't been able to consult with her about anything that had been happening to him as of late. She was obviously informed on everything else about the whole "Haiirokin Issue", but the boy just hadn't been able to get a hold of her for the past week to update her. And Noriko was the only real friend he had to talk to – the only one he _could_ talk to.

It was strange thinking about it actually. Back when they were still a tight group, he and Noriko never really talked much. It wasn't like they disliked each other or anything; they just never had the chance to get to know one another (that is, until that day). Noriko was pretty shy back then. She only ever really opened up when she was around Sa-chan. Taro suspected everyone in the group was like that, though – the small girl had a way of bringing out the sincerity and trueness in those near her. Noriko was just one of the more obvious people. In that sense, it seemed to only be natural that their little Haiirokin clique would fall apart once you took the glue away. After Sa-chan had moved, Taro and Noriko distanced themselves from the group. They were able to find a common bond in not only the secret they shared but also in what they had both lost. The two eventually developed an almost sibling like relationship, and that's just the way things have been since then – no thoughts of it being any other way.

The Todoroki leader now slowed as he approached the corner that would take him to Café de Rovne – owned by Noriko's father and frequented by all his old friends as he had just recently discovered. The boy crept along the wall of the adjacent building and poked his head around the corner to check and see if the coast was clear, unwilling to risk any chances of running into anyone from the old Haiirokin gang. Seeing no other soul in sight, he made a quick beeline towards the door, just in case someone were to spot him on the way in. His hand reached towards the handle of the door but, on catching a look inside the establishment, froze before it even made contact. Taro madly flattened himself against the wall near the entrance, barely breathing. He dared a peak through the small, circular, speakeasy-like window in the door just to confirm his suspicions.

True enough, there, sitting at the bar in the café like two girlfriends having a night out, were Noriko and Sayuri. Taro was too confused and dumbfounded to even curse at his predicament. He leaned his head back against the wall of the building, trying to figure out what his next move should be. How could Noriko betray him like this? It was supposed to be the two of them against the world (or something along those lines). There was always the unspoken agreement they had that they would never return to the way things were before. _Could_ never… but Noriko knew that as well as Taro did. The delinquent boy stole another look inside the café, and this time he noticed how the two girls – although in fact sitting together – awkwardly avoided eye contact and didn't speak a word to each other. '_Sa-chan must have cornered her into coming here,_' he deduced from the scene, feeling slightly guilty for having doubted Noriko even for a second.

"A-anno…," Sayuri hedged cautiously. Taro's first instinct was to immediately duck out of the way, in case he were to be seen, but the fellow Haiirokin alum fought against his better judgment and remained by the door to spy on the girls.

Inside Café de Rovne, the two objects of his attention had fallen into another period of silence. After being persuaded by Sayuri to hear her out, Noriko had brought the girl the café, having already been on the way to meet Taro here herself. She intended to quickly get this whole ordeal done and over with, tired of having to constantly run away. Her father had even left early leaving her to close up because he wanted to give the two some space. Of course, that had been about a half hour ago. Neither girl had been able to build up enough courage to say anything at all to the other. Every few minutes, they'd mumble something like Sayuri just had, but it would always die out before turning into any actual, concrete words. Noriko sighed. She needed to end this before Taro came. It had only occurred to her sometime after the fifth stretch of silence that maybe bringing Sayuri here hadn't been the brightest of ideas. Taro was surely to take in this situation as well as – well, he just wouldn't take it well at all. She took in a deep breath, "If this is all you have to say… then I think it's okay for you to leave now."

Sayuri quit her nervous fiddling of her hands and whipped her head up, "Nori –"

"If you don't mind," the other girl cut her off as she got out of her seat. "I actually have plans."

"Matte!" the Momo student exclaimed as she got up out of her set also. "Chotto matte!" She reached out and nervously grabbed onto Noriko's arm to keep her from leaving. "Watashi…," she said, desperately searching for the right words to say like she had been this entire time. Her eyes flitted around as she stared at the ground. She suddenly dropped her hand to her side and bowed her head. "Gomen nasai!"

"Eh?!" Noriko gasped in confusion as Taro leaned in closer from the outside. "What are you apologizing for?"

The dark-haired girl raised her head slowly, "You're mad at me for suddenly leaving the way I did back then, ne?" Her voice was melancholy and resigned, "I left you alone even though we were friends… even though I knew how the girls in class were like… even though you should never abandon someone you care about." Both Noriko and Taro lowered their gazes at her words. "I'm really just… the worst," she said, biting her lip. "I shouldn't have left like that… Gomen nasai!" She bowed her head once again.

The brown-haired girl clenched her fist as she turned her head away. She let out a sort of scoff. "Baka…You don't even know what you're talking about!" she said angrily. Sayuri looked up, eyes wide, as Taro made a move for the door handle. "You don't even know who should be apologizing to whom! You probably don't even know the reason you had to move! You –"

"NORIKO!" Taro shouted as the bell to the door entrance sounded. Both girls turned towards the disruption. He headed straight towards the upset one of the two, face serious.

"Ta-chan," Sayuri said to herself as the boy walked past, giving her only one quick glance.

He grabbed the other girl's arm to pull her in closer. "Calm yourself," he whispered lowly to her. "Don't say anything you might regret." Noriko looked over at him helplessly having snapped out of her daze. The boy's expression softened as he gave her a pat on the head.

The eldest Wakamatsu daughter took in the scene before her. As she also processed the words Noriko had just shouted, something clicked in her mind. "Masaka," she said in disbelief. Her two companions looked over towards her. "You were both there that day…?" They both froze for a short moment before regaining their composure, but it was enough for Sayuri to understand. "Arienai…"

Noriko turned away as Taro threw his hands into his pockets and grumbled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, trying stubbornly to denying it until the end.

"Don't screw around with me!" the yakuza-bred girl barked, flip fully switched on. Her childhood friends stared at her in surprise. "Baka ja nai no?! Blaming yourselves over something like that?!" the small girl huffed indignantly.

Taro gave a scornful laugh, "'Something like that?'… Do you think _your mother_ would describe it as _'something like that'_?"

Sayuri flinched at his words but didn't back down. "Whatever you choose to call it… It's stupid to blame yourselves –"

"Demo!" Noriko interrupted. "It's true we could have stopped it. Then Yuri-chan wouldn't have had to –"

"Ii kagen ni shiro!" she interrupted the other girl right back. "Stop being stupid, little brats for one moment and think! It wasn't the type of situation two nine-year-olds could just change on their own!" Both Noriko and Taro lowered their heads. Sayuri took a deep breath to calm herself and continued on in a more level tone. "What do you think you guys could have done? Blindly charged in to rescue her? What do you think would have happened to you guys then? This isn't some sort of manga where the hero always beats the bad guys. It's life… and life likes to put you through hell – unimaginable pain and suffering. Sometimes there may not seem like a reason for it, but, even if you don't realize it, everything is meant to help you grow and learn so that one day even life itself can't screw you over," the dark-haired girl said, taking in another deep breath. "Kedo… you have to be willing to accept the hell you went through and move past it for it to be of any use to you," she continued pleadingly, taking a step towards the others.

Noriko retreated, raising her head to show tears in her eyes. "You don't get it!" she yelled. "It's not that easy to forgive yourself!" She made a move as if to run past Sayuri and out the door, but the other girl caught her and held on with an expression of stubborn determination. The two just looked at each other for a long while. "I was scared…," Noriko finally said in a tiny, cracked voice.

Taro walked over and pulled the crying girl's arm from Sayuri's grasp. "You don't know how we felt," the usually bristly boy stated in a vulnerable and defenseless tone. "All we thought in that moment was how scared _we_ were… We ran away. We didn't think about jumping in or helping once back then. All that came after the guilt set in… We were just… too scared," his voice grew smaller as it reached that last part.

The Momo student's features softened as her jaw remained set. "Isn't that alright?" she asked quietly. Two pairs of eyes searched her face. "It's okay to think about yourself. It's okay to be scared." Taro opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything.

"Doesn't that make us bad people. Doesn't it mean we don't deserve friendship?" Noriko voiced the thought and reasoning that the two of them had shared all these years. "Don't you hate us for this?"

Sayuri smiled for the first time since she returned to the café. "Baka ja nai no?" Unlike the first time she had said it, this time was filled with warmth. "You guys are my very precious friends… Nothing could change that." She took both their hands in her own as her smile widened. "Nandemo," she repeated with conviction.

"Yuri…," Noriko called out, tears running down her face as she failed to hold back a small smile of her own. Sayuri let out a laugh as she moved to wipe the other girl's tears and engulfed her in a hug, letting go of Taro's hand in the process. He shoved both into his pockets like the cool, tough, delinquent leader he is but couldn't help but stand there and smile at the site of the two girls laughing and hugging it out.

"You guys... aren't allowed to ignore me from now on," the small girl said, pulling back and staring at the other two with a pout on her lips.

"Wakarimashita," the sole boy replied gently. Noriko nudged him playfully as all three of them broke into smiles.

"Ah," Sayuri said as if remembering something. "We need to tell the guys right away!" Her companions looked a little wide eyed and made nervous gestures like rubbing their necks and biting their lips. "Daijobu… they've missed the two of you," she stated without an ounce of hesitation, placing a comforting hand back on each of their arms.

"Will they really take us back in just like that?" Taro wondered out loud, scared at the actual answer. So much had happened between all of them. Would it really be that easy? Sayuri just gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the back.

"Real friendships don't end as easily as you may think," she told the boy who couldn't stop himself from staring back at her.

At that exact moment, however, the guys they were just talking about (plus Tsucchi and Hyuuga) barreled into Café de Rovne in a frenzy, clearly having been searching for something but stopping in surprise at the sight of the other half of their old gang. Both Ryu and Hayato lingered for a moment on the way Taro was looking at Sayuri. "You guys…," Take uttered in shock, which was basically the dominant emotion in the face of everyone present. No one else had a chance to speak another word before Maki and Aiko trailed in from behind.

"Yuri-chan!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Were you here the whole time?" Maki asked frantically, not taking note of the company the other girl was with. "Why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"Eh?" Sayuri breathed as she reached for her cellphone. The screen was black. "It looks like the battery died... Gomen, doshita no?" It was more than obvious that something was up.

"Naomi-chan's gone missing."

* * *

><p>I've planned about 20-ish chapters for this series, but it still depends on how things all go. A lot of my story ideas have been changed along the way, though. Hopefully, you'll all see another chapter soon, but I won't try to deceive you guys with any false promises this time… Still, let me know what you though of this one?<p> 


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